Fairy Tail: The Guild Hidden in The Leaf:Book One
by animemaniac1010
Summary: What if when lissana died the Thundergod tribe, Laxus, Lucy, Cana, Mira, Romeo, Wendy, Gajeel, Levy, and Elfman were transported to the elemental nations.Watch how Laxus as Naruto survives the shinobi world. Starts after the graduation.
1. Genin team

**This story features laxus as naruto in the naruto anime with twist, but at a progressive and realistic pace. However, while he is still laxus his personality is like Naruto and he will have naruto moments. This also features a seal-master later on and takes a look at what it would be like if freed as sasuke never got the curse mark and left the village. Evergreen as sakura actually took being a ninja seriously and so did mira as ino.**

 **Pairings in this story currently are: laxus/lucy. Freed/mira. Shika/Tema, and Shino/Fu. Ever/elf. Cana/bicks. Other pairings have yet to be announced or determined.**

 **There may be minor bashing. If I do include some bashing of major characters (Konoha 12 for example) it won't last too long and is usually used in character development. I will only consistently bash those who I feel truly deserve to be bashed (council, Hyuga main branch [not including Hiashi], Orochimaru, and Danzo).**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own naruto or it's characters the first one to comment gets dedicated**

"Normal speech"

" _Normal thought_ "

" **Demonic speech/extremely pissed off Tsunade** "

" **Demonic thought** "

"Jutsu/technique"

" _Written work "_

 **Note: Just a quick heads up, this chapter is more of a refresher on the events surrounding Laxus actually becoming a genin. If you do not feel like reading the Bell Test, then I suggest you skip to the next chapter where I will delve a little into some of the first missions of Laxus and his friends. However, I do suggest you read the A/N at the end of this chapter.**

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Today was the day. Today was March 5, the day that this year's class would finally end their time in the academy and become full fledge ninja of the village. The graduation exams had been held just two days ago with all but one student graduating. This student was Laxus Dreyer. Laxus was the village prankster and the class clown. He was also considered the 'dead last' of the class and everyone thought of him and his proclaiming that he would become Hokage as a complete and utter joke. No matter how much Laxus tried, he couldn't manage to succeed for some reason. Even the simplest Jutsu, such as the Clone Jutsu, were too much for Laxus and as such, Iruka was reluctantly forced to fail Laxus.

Iruka didn't want to fail the blonde child that he had become emotionally attached to, but seeing as the child had failed to perform even the simplest Jutsu, was forced to decide that Laxus was not quite ready to be a ninja. Frankly, Iruka was beginning to doubt that Laxus would ever be able to graduate. And then THAT event happened.

On the evening of March 3, Laxus stole the Forbidden Scroll of Sealing as an attempt to earn some 'extra credit' and pass the exam. It was on this night that Iruka and Laxus did battle with the traitorous Mizuki, one of the now former academy teacher. It was also on this night that Laxus finally learned why his life had practically been a living hell. He was the nine tailed fox, or rather the nine tails was sealed inside him.

Just under twelve years ago, the nine tailed fox attacked the village, resulting in many deaths and a great deal of destruction. Seeing no other way to defeat the beast, the fourth Hokage, the greatest shinobi of his time, sealed away the great beast into a newborn infant. This infant was Laxus Dreyer.

Now, Laxus wasn't the nine tails nor was he some manifestation of the nine tails. The fourth had made one last wish that Laxus be regarded as a hero of the village for keeping the nine tails at bay. Unfortunately, the fourth's dying wish was ignored and the village began to torment the child. This upset the third Hokage, who had returned to his former position after the death of his successor, and many laws were enacted. The most notable was to forbid the village from even mentioning the nine tails. Unfortunately, this resulted in the village shunning Laxus, leaving him to contemplate why the village hated him. What was worse was that the child was an orphan, not knowing the love that only a parent could give him. Whenever he would ask the third about his parents, the Hokage would just bypass the answer to the question by saying they were "great people". This and the shroud of secrets surrounding Laxus only served to further the young child's misery.

And then it happened. After years of constantly failing to master even the simplest of Jutsu, Laxus finally did it. In a time where his and his sensei's life, one of the few people who had actually acknowledged him, Laxus finally performed the Clone Jutsu...or rather the Shadow Clone Jutsu. This was a jonin-level technique that told Iruka enough...Laxus was in fact ready to become a ninja. As such, Iruka decided to pass Laxus, by giving him the Leaf headband off his own head.

Looking around the class room, Iruka couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of pride come to him. All 27 students in his class had managed to pass. This was a rare accomplishment that he would be sure to rub in the face of the other teachers later. He only wished that ALL of his class would become true genin.

"Alright class, I would like to congratulate you all for becoming ninja" the instructor announced. "I have your team assignments right here. After I call out your teams, you will be dismissed for the morning and report back here this afternoon to meet your new sensei."

With that Iruka began announcing the team assignments. "Team 7 will be Evergreen, Laxus Dreyer, Bickslow and Freed Uchiha Justine." Ever was happy that she was on Bickslow team, but didn't care that Laxus and freed that was also there. Laxus was happy for being with Bickslow, but mad that he got stuck with Freed. Freed, well he didn't care about any of them. Bickslow was glad that he was on Laxus and Evergreen team but was wary of Freed. Lucy was also a little disappointed that she would not be with Laxus. "Hey sensei why are there four of us." asked Evergreen." well there is an odd number of kids this time so there's a four man team." Iruka replied "Now Team 8 will be Lucy Hyuga Heartfillia, Elfman Inuzuka Stratus, and Shino Aburame. Team 10 will be Mira Yamanaka Stratus, Shikamaru Nara, and Chouji Akimichi." The class was dismissed.

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With the newly minted genin given the rest of the morning off.

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All of the genin met back at the classroom after lunch break and waited for their new sensei to come and collect them. While the other teams left with their sensei, Laxus, Evergreen, Bickslow, and Freed were left alone in the classroom, waiting...and waiting...and waiting. They had been waiting for just over two hours before someone finally came into the room. It was their jonin sensei, who had somehow managed to fall for one of Laxus's more obvious and ridiculous traps. Laxus had wedged an eraser in the door, which would fall when the door opened. For Laxus, the trap worked perfectly and their new sensei was bonked square on the head as the eraser bounced off his gravity defying silver hair.

For their sensei, this gave him a bad first impression. All he really said to them was "My first impression is...I don't like you" before taking them away to the roof of the academy for introductions.

Their sensei went first, introducing himself as Kakashi Hatake, a jonin in Leaf. Unfortunately, this was all Team 7 got out of their sensei as the remainder of his answers were rather...vague.

Laxus followed up. Unlike Kakashi, Laxus basically read off his autobiography for the most part, stating his dream to become a great ninja and his absolute love for ramen. His hobbies included eating ramen and pulling pranks. Kakashi sent him an intriguing look, almost as if he knew Laxus from a long time ago and was slightly curious as to how the boy had grown.

Evergreen was next. Like Laxus, she didn't hold back, she said she wanted to become a great kunoichi and beat Mira. Her love for fashion and hobby on reading.

Freed like Kakashi was short, but his introduction was much darker than the two before him, stating that he disliked many things and like very few things. His dream, or should I say ambition, was to kill a certain man and to rebuild his clan.

Bickslow's introduction was short. He said that his dream was to find a ninja to help his brother he didn't like or hate anything, and that his hobby was painting. While finishing with his tongue out.

 _"Hmm, a ramen-obsessed failure, an emo 'avenger', a semi promising kunoichi and a quiet painter"_ thought Kakashi as he made his impressions on the team sitting in front of him. Sadly, this was going to be like every other team...they would fail his exam. He hated to do it as one of the children given to him was the last member of his late friend and former teammate, Obito Uchiha.

Kakashi gave his team the dreaded news of the actual genin exam, telling them to meet him at training ground 7 tomorrow morning at 8:00am. This test would determine if they were amongst the 33% of their class that passed the exam. Oh, and he told them not to eat breakfast or else they would throw up.

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Kakashi was a lazy liar. That was Team 7's second impression of Kakashi and one that they got before beginning the exam. They were told to meet up at 8:00, but Kakashi didn't even bother showing until just after 10:00. Furthermore, the 'don't eat breakfast' part turned out to be a trick to simply make them suffer more.

Kakashi explained to them that the objective of this test was to obtain the two bells that he had tied to the side of his belt. However, because there were only two bells, only two people would pass while the third would be sent back to the academy; that is if they even managed to get a bell. Instantly, Laxus began to shout out against this, questioning the whole point of the test.

Kakashi began the exam, giving them until noon to take the bells from him. As soon as he started, Evergreen, Bickslow and Freed darted off into the trees to conceal themselves like a true ninja would. As for the for member of the team, well...

"Come and fight me!" declared Laxus, not even bothering to hide himself.

"Idiot" both Evergreen, Bickslow and Freed though, observing Laxus from their hiding spots.

Laxus charged as the one-eyed jonin only to halt when Kakashi reached into his back pouch for what seemed like a weapon. To Laxus slight disappointment, it was an orange-colored book titled 'Icha Icha Paradise'. After overcoming his initial confusion, Laxus resumed his attack, hoping to teach the jonin a lesson for underestimating him. Kakashi managed to dodge ever single blow with minimal effort, if even that, not even having to take his eye off the book.

"A ninja isn't supposed to get caught from behind, idiot" Kakashi said, appearing in a crouching position behind Laxus. Kakashi made a quick hand seal as Laxus tried to react in time. "Too late. Hidden Technique: 1000 Years of Pain!" Laxus was sent flying while Evergreen, Bickslow and Freed just looked on in embarrassment. All Kakashi had really done was poke Laxus in the ass, sending him flying into the stream in the training ground.

"You sure are weak for someone wanting to become a strong ninja." taunted Kakashi as it became obvious that the blonde wasn't surfacing anytime soon.

"Shut it you! I'm going to make you acknowledge me!" shouted Laxus as half a dozen Laxus's burst out of the water. For the first time since meeting his team, Kakashi was actually slightly surprised. Even Freed and Evergreen a were amazed by the fact that Laxus had managed to pull off this many clones...and not just normal clones, but physical ones.

"You still can't beat me with that Jutsu" Kakashi said as the eight Laxus's charged at Kakashi. Before he knew it, a seventh Laxus had grabbed Kakashi from behind.

"Weren't ninjas not supposed to get caught from behind? Right Kakashi-sensei?" Laxus said ironically. "Here comes revenge for poking my ass like that!"

Even Freed admitted that Laxus had come up with a decent plan. Laxus made a fist and punched Kakashi, only to realize that he had punched one of his clones. Before anyone knew what was happening, the Laxus's were beating up each other. Kakashi had used a Substitution Jutsu to get out of that mess.

Laxus spent the next few minutes trying to find where Kakashi went. To his delight, he found one of the bells sitting by the base of a tree. "Hehe, he dropped a bell" Laxus said, reaching for the bell. Next thing he knew, he was pulled into the air by a rope. He had just walked right into a trap. Kakashi then appeared and picked up the bell. One down, two to go.

Seeing his opening, Freed unleashed a barrage of shuriken upon Kakashi. All of them hit their mark as Kakashi was pinned into a nearby tree with half a dozen shuriken sticking out of his head.

"Poof!" Kakashi turned into a log, using a Substitution Jutsu to avoid any damage. Freed was cursing as he had just given up his position. Panicking, Freed bolted out of his hiding spot as evergreen went to Bickslow to regroup.

Evergreen couldn't find Bickslow, only to find herself in Kakashi's trap.

"Hello Evergreen" said Kakashi, appearing behind her as she was caught in a swirl of leaves. The next thing Evergreen saw was a beaten and bruised Freed, Laxus, and Bickslow stumble out of the bushes, roughly a few dozen kunai and shuriken sticking out of there body. And then they collapsed to the ground...dead. Evergreen cried out in horror as she lost consciousness due to the genjutsu placed on her. Two down, two left.

Kakashi moved to the next clearing, tripping a wire and sending a barrage of knives at him. He easily dodged the trap that Freed must have set for him. When Kakashi recovered, he quickly found himself engaged in a taijutsu battle with Freed. Kakashi easily repelled Freed attacks and Freed was forced to resort to something Kakashi really was not expecting.

"Fire Style Great Fireball Jutsu" shouted Freed. Genin fresh out of the academy weren't supposed to know Jutsu on this level. It was surprising that Laxus knew the Shadow Clone Jutsu, but the fact that Freed also knew an advanced Jutsu...he was beginning to hate the fact that he would be forced to fail them in less than an hour now.

The flames died down and Freed couldn't see any sign of Kakashi anywhere that is until a pair of arms came shooting up out of the ground dragging Freed into the ground so that he was buried up to his head. Three down and one to go.

Suddenly three ink tigers came out of nowhere and attacked. Kakashi after getting over his surprise quickly destroyed the tigers and disappeared. Then suddenly behind Bickslow Kakashi appeared out of nowhere and said "found you." And proceeded to knock him out.

Shortly after, the four academy students found themselves back at the posts with Kakashi facing them. Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen were sitting against two posts and Laxus had somehow managed to get himself tied to one post.

Kakashi gave them a quick lecture about not working together, emphasizing his point by telling Evergreen to kill Laxus or he would kill Freed. He didn't actually mean it, but it was just to help prove his point. Kakashi agreed to give the three one more chance, as long as they did not share their lunch with Laxus.

After much complaining, Freed and Bickslow decided to go against Kakashi's rule and offered Laxus their lunch. Evergreen quickly followed and Kakashi caught them in the act.

The three of them prepared themselves for the punishment and Kakashi delivered. They passed. They were now officially ninja of Leaf.

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Kurenai Yuhi had been assigned to Team 8, consisting of Lucy, Shino, and Elfman. Like the other jonin, she had been tasked with determining whether or not her team had the potential to become an actual team of shinobi.

Lucy was the current heir of the Hyuga clan, currently the most powerful clan in Leaf; however, her father had labelled her as a failure due to her lack of skills and her shy and timid nature. As such, her father, Hiashi, had assigned Kurenai to watch over Lucy since a few years ago while he shifted most of his attention to his younger daughter, Wendy. Kurenai wasn't too fond of the treatment Lucy had received at home and she was sure her father still cared for his daughter. However, clan politics had gotten in the way of what's best for Lucy. Kurenai took this as a challenge, determined to make Lucy into a kunoichi that the Hyuga clan would regret casting aside. It was for this sole reason that she would most likely pass her team, even before she tested them.

Elfman was the younger of the two children in the Inuzuka's main family. For years, the Inuzukas were renown through Leaf for producing some of the best hunter ninjas in the shinobi world. Their relationships with dogs made them ideal for tracking and their own senses were more beast-like as well. Elfman's own sense of smell was about 100x more powerful than humans, not nearly as strong as a dogs, but still...

Shino was the final member of her team. He was the clan heir to the Aburame clan. The Aburame were, in a sense, outcasted by some of the population of Leaf as they lived in symbiosis with insects, allowing the insects to live inside their own body. However, much of the shinobi population knew of the potential the Aburames possessed and as such, they had a great deal of respect for the clan. Shino's knowledge of the insect world and ability to make use of the faint chemical signals found in insect pheromones made him a valuable member in a team that was destined to become a great tracking team, if not the best.

Kurenai saw the potential in this team to be great. She would put very little effort in testing them as she was pretty much set on passing them the moment she was assigned this team.

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Asuma Sarutobi had been assigned to the clan heirs of the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clans, as per tradition. Mira, Shikamaru, and Chouji were the selected members of each clan who were destined to form the next generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, Leaf's legendary combo rivalled only by the Raikage and his brother in terms of teamwork.

Mira even though her name isn't Ino was the best candidate she held the best potential and was daughter of the head clan leader.

Shikamaru, like the rest of the male populous in his clan, was extremely lazy yet possessed superior intelligence that was seen nowhere else. Shikamaru had immense potential, but he held himself back as it would be too much effort for him to care about much else.

Chouji was the final member of his team. Chouji was the heir of the Akimichi clan. The main problem with Chouji however, is that he cared more for food than shinobi training. Sadly, this was common in the Akimichi clan.

Asuma would likely pass this team as well without much evaluation. He knew the three of them were destined to work together, like the generations before them. All he had to do was to get them out of their own little worlds and start working together. Once that happened, his team would be a force to be reckoned with.

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Hiruzen Sarutobi, the third Hokage, gathered all of the jonin instructors assigned to this year's class. Like in the past, there was only about a 33% pass rate for all of the teams. In particular, the most notable team that passed was Kakashi's team. He had been assigned to test genin teams for the past 7 years and all of them had failed, miserably. However, this team had managed to pass. Many jonin credited it to the fact that the Uchiha was assigned to him. Out of the nearly 1000 students who graduated this year, only 300 (or 100 teams) were actually going to become genin

 **Author Note (warning: potential spoilers)**

 **Just a quick note, if you have read or seen the cannon up until the Fourth Shinobi War, the Allied Shinobi Forces had numbers ranging around 80,000 between all five villages and the Land of Iron's samurai. With Konoha being one of the larger nations, I have estimated that its shinobi forces number around 15,000-17,000. As such, I find it highly unlikely that only 9 new ninja are added to the force each year. This was kind of hinted in cannon when they only focused on Naruto's class. I will only be focusing primarily on the 9 genin who graduated from Naruto's class of 27 students, but please be aware that there were many other classes than graduated at the same time as Naruto and his class. As such, this makes the number of new genin more realistic. Now, there are other paths to becoming a shinobi, but the academy is the path that most ninja take towards becoming a Konoha shinobi.**

 **While Konoha won't be quite as large, there will be a population of around 25,000-30,000 with a ninja population of around 10,000. I'll explain this later on.**

 **I hope this clears up a few things right off the bat.**

 **I hope you enjoyed. Reviews and Comments greatly appreciated.**


	2. A ninja Finally

**Disclaimer: I do not own naruto or fairy tail and the first person to comment will be dedicated**

 **Dedicated to** I'maBearObviously

 **Author Notes**

 **This chapter gave a small run through of Team 7's first two months as a ninja. Near the end of this chapter, Kakashi gave in and decided to teach his team the tree walking. He could have taught so much more than he did. This is one diversion from cannon that will play into their training further on.**

Laxus awoke early the next morning. He had finally done it. He was now officially a ninja. Yesterday, he and his team, Evergreen, Bickslow, and Freed basted Uchiha Justine, had passed the true genin exam and they were slated to start as true ninja today. Laxus went through his usual morning routine before leaving his apartment to meet up with his team.

Meeting up at the training ground, he found that Freed, Bickslow, Evergreen had already arrived, but Kakashi was nowhere to be seen. He remembered from the past two days that Kakashi had been late by at least 2 hours. Hopefully this wouldn't be a regular occurrence. Sadly it was.

"You're late!" shouted Laxus and Evergreen simultaneously as Kakashi arrived two hours late.

"Sorry guys, you see there was this old lady who needed help crossing the street and then she needed help..." Kakashi was interrupted.

"Can it!" shouted Evergreen.

"Yeah, come on sensei, what sort of cool ninja stuff are we going to be doing today?" asked Laxus.

"Well someone looks eager to get started. So we will. Today we will be working on your teamwork" said Kakashi.

"Huh?" All four of them looked at Kakashi with a dumbfounded look. "Why do we need to do that? Come on, we are ninja now. Can't we get either an exciting mission or a cool new Jutsu?" asked Laxus.

"No, not today anyways. I told you yesterday that the three of you will be working together in a team so we will work on making sure the three of you can work together" said Kakashi.

"But come on Kakashi. We are ninja now" argued Laxus.

"No 'but's. You are ninja and as ninja, you need to work together in teams" explained Kakashi. "Do you have a problem, or would you rather go back to the academy?"

"Err...no. Teamwork is great" said Laxus sarcastically.

For the rest of the week, Kakashi had them working on simple trust exercises, such as throwing a ball back and forth blindfolded or having someone guide another around a course while the one being guided was blindfolded. For the most part, these exercises went smooth, for the first hour that is. There came a point every time when Laxus would become fed up with the exercise and slip up somehow, creating tension within the group. Most of this tension was between him and Freed with Evergreen and Bickslow always just watching. As such, the exercise would go downhill from there. Kakashi sighed at his team's progress. Perhaps a mission might help things out. He had the right mission in mind that was designed to serve as a good first mission and help build teamwork.

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"Is everyone in position?" Kakashi called out through the wireless radios his team was wearing.

"I'm ready" called out Evergreen.

"I'm in position" said Freed.

"I'm here" replied Laxus.

"In position" said Bickslow.

"Alright, where's the target?" asked Kakashi.

"Target is five meters. We are ready to go" said Freed.

"Alright, on my mark...go" ordered Kakashi.

With that, the four newly minted genin dove forward on their target. Laxus came up the one to catch it, although he was wishing he hadn't. Their target just so happened to be a pretty angry cat, known around the village as Tora, the Fire Daimyo's Wife's pet and the Demon Cat of the Leaf.

Team 7 reported that they had caught the intended cat, indicating that it had a pink ribbon in its ear. They quickly made their way back to the Leaf mission hall and Laxus couldn't get rid of the cat any sooner. By the time Tora was back in the suffocating arms of its owner, Laxus's face looked like it had just been put through a blender five times over. Kakashi called that enough for the day, citing Laxus's health as an excuse to dismiss his team for the day and to read his book.

Before leaving, Iruka, who had been stationed to give out missions that day, asked Laxus if he wanted to get ramen later. Laxus gratefully accepted Iruka's offer.

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"So Laxus tell me, how was your first week of being a ninja?" asked Iruka.

"You know, I thought it would be better, but all Kakashi-sensei has us doing are stupid teamwork exercises and then we get that mission" said Laxus, rubbing his face. "My face still hurts."

"Ah yes, the infamous Capture Tora mission" said Iruka.

"Wait, did you have to do that mission as well?" asked Laxus.

Iruka cringed a little as he recalled the full memory. "Yeah. That cat has a history of getting away from its owner."

Laxus laughed. "I can see why. That lady was practically suffocating the cat. Serves it right" said Laxus.

"Now Laxus, be nice. That lady is the wife of the Fire Daimyo and you won't believe how much money that cat brings into the village" said Iruka. Laxus looked at Iruka a little confused. "All right, I'll explain. People hire ninja to do tasks ranging from catching a pet cat, all the way up to assassinations. We assign a ninja team to these missions based on the assigned ranking and the clients pay us a commission. Out of the commission paid, you get a certain amount of it, as well as the rest of your team, and the village takes its cut. This is main way a ninja village makes money is through the service of our ninja. The price of a mission depends on a few things but the two main factors are the intended length of the mission and the assigned difficulty. Now, missions are assigned a difficulty rank ranging from D all the way to S. As a genin, you will only be doing D-ranks for now but you may get a C-rank or two in the future once begin to prove yourself. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I guess. But still..." said Laxus. Iruka laughed.

"Don't worry. Everyone has to go through D-ranks. Think of it as a rite of passage that every ninja has to take. Eventually, there will be other ninja doing those missions and you will be doing things more exciting. Just stick with what you're given for now and eventually your time will come" said Iruka.

"Yeah, you're right. Besides, they can't all be as bad as catching that stupid cat. Just you watch, in no time I'll be kicking ass and saving nations! Believe it!" exclaimed Laxus.

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Laxus was walking back from their daily training session. It had been just over a month since he became a ninja. His current schedule consisted of alternating between missions on one day and training on the other day with a personal day for rest or whatever every week. Now this wouldn't have been so bad if it hadn't been for the missions they were stuck doing or the 'training', if it was even that, that Kakashi had them doing.

The missions were more of chores. In the past month, his team had accomplished 10 D-ranks which consisted of menial tasks such as painting fences, weeding gardens, delivering baked goods, picking up trash, and the worst of them all...catching that damned cat. Sure Iruka-sensei told him a few weeks ago just to put up with them, but this seemed just like a waste of his amazing ninja talents. It was also on these missions where he always seemed to screw up somehow and as a result, Freed had to come to his rescue. Laxus would then get yelled at, usually by Evergreen, for not taking things seriously. Well perhaps if he was taken more seriously and given something that an actual ninja would do, then he would actually take the mission more serious.

If the missions weren't enough, the training just made it worse. After getting out of the academy, Laxus was expecting to learn some really cool Jutsu and ninja techniques, but Kakashi had them working on nothing more than teambuilding exercises. Today was an exercise where Kakashi had one of them blindfold the other and then the non-blindfolded person would guide the blindfolded person around, directing them away from danger.

Everything had started alright. He had been tasked with guiding a blindfolded Freed around an obstacle course in less than 15 minutes. Sure he might have steered Freed into a few trees or off a log once or twice on accident, but that didn't warrant what he received when he and Freed swapped places. It only took about 5 minutes before Freed guided Laxus into the river, soaking him. From there, everything went downhill and the two boys ended up in a little bit of a fight, Freed coming out on top.

Laxus cursed his misfortune, being stuck with Freed bastard and a sensei that couldn't care less for his career as a ninja.

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If Laxus was having a bad day, then Freed's wasn't much better. These menial D-ranks were starting to get on his nerves as well. He needed to become stronger so that he could accomplish his goals and these general labor tasks were not doing anything. In fact, if it wasn't for the idiot, he could probably get them done faster and use the rest of the day to get in some useful training...but sadly that wasn't the case.

During those missions, Laxus would usually find some way to mess up and he would be forced to save the blonde. However, Laxus wasn't the worst. At the very least, Laxus was trying...to some degree. He had to give him that.

Ever since the academy, he hated the fan girls. They did nothing but fawn left and right over him, coming up with ridiculous excuses to try and capture his attention. In fact, they had even gone as far to grow all of their hair because they heard that he liked girls with long hair. All the fan girls did was prove to be an unavoidable obstacle for him. If it wasn't for a random fangirl's constant nagging, he wouldn't have dropped Laxus into the creek

In reality, he couldn't care less. As part of his goal was to revive his clan, Freed knew that one day he would have to find a girl (or girls if the village forced the CRA on him) to help him. However, he didn't want this girl to be a brainless fan girl who practically worshiped the very ground he stood on. No, he wanted a girl that was strong and herself. He wanted someone who could stand against him and tell him he was wrong when he was. He wanted someone who didn't care if he was an Uchiha.

Freed could also care less for the team building exercises. To him, they were nothing more than a waste. He needed to kill someone and in order to do such, he needed power. He needed training. Not this. He needed real training and he needed real missions to test his abilities.

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Evergreen and Bickslow were nearly the exact opposite in terms of Laxus and Freed when it came to these missions. They didn't mind the menial missions or the labor. In fact, Evergreen rather enjoyed them while Bickslow didn't care. The only thing she disliked about the missions happened to be Laxus. He always seemed to mess-up.

Evergreen wasn't complaining so much. She had been slightly nervous when she started as a ninja, afraid that she would be thrown directly into some life threatening situation. She had heard of the shinobi life-style from Mira's dad. He the clan head who specialized in interrogation. When she asked them about becoming a shinobi they were worried but was okay with it, None the less, there was still a fear that she was getting in over her head.

While for Bickslow he and his brother were chosen by Danzo Shimura to be root agents but before either finished training they were found by Laxus who was being chased by a bear and stumbled upon them. After shin killed the bear. Laxus an Bickslow became friends and Laxus asked why he never saw them before.

*FLASHBACK*

three people a younger Laxus and Bickslow and shin were around a dead brown bear. "Do why haven't I seen you around the village before ya know?" Laxus asked. "We don't live in the village. "Replied shin but you seem strong.", "we aren't citizens of the Leaf." Shin informed Laxus. "hmmmm the old man can help he can do lots of things come on!" Laxus shouted as he grabbed Bickslow started dragging him to the village.

*END FLASHBACK*

~~~~~~\\\\\\\\\line break/~~~~~~~~~~~~

Laxus had just finished up dinner one night after yet another day of D-ranks. It was now six weeks since his start as a ninja and he was really getting fed up with the current program. Kakashi still had them doing teamwork exercises with some physical conditioning involved. Yet, Kakashi still refused to teach them anything ninja-like.

Coming out of Ichiraku, receiving some of the typical glares from the villagers, Laxus spotted someone he hadn't seen since the academy. It took him a few minutes to realize who it was exactly, but it came to him. That someone was Lucy. He had always thought of her as a weird and pretty blond girl who just sat in the back and never talked to anyone. In fact, she was the exact opposite of most of the girls in the class. She was one of the very few, possibly the only, girls that didn't fawn over Freed. But there was something else...she was also the only one in the class that was never mean to him.

Laxus hadn't seen anyone else, besides Evergreen, Bickslow and Freed, since the graduation from the academy. Well actually, he had seen Shikamaru and Chouji once, but they were busy chasing after that damned cat.

"Hey, uhh...Lucy!" shouted Laxus. He was just looking for someone else to talk to from his class besides Freed, Bickslow and Evergreen.

Lucy froze up, hearing the voice of her crush coming up from behind her. "L-l-la-xus?" she stuttered, looking frantically for something to hide behind. She found a nearby post and used that as cover although she peaked out from behind, glad that Laxus was talking to her.

"Hey, you still have your headband!" exclaimed Laxus, noticing the forehead protector around her neck. Besides his own team and Team 10, Laxus didn't know who the other teams who passed the genin exam from his class were. Kakashi had mentioned that there were three teams from his class, but he didn't know who the other team was...until now. "That means your team passed the genin exam!"

"Y-yes w-we d-d-did, L-laxus. I-I'm glad t-t-o s-see t-that you d-did as w-well" replied a stuttering Lucy.

"Wait, you're actually glad that I passed?" asked Laxus. He was sure half of the class had placed bets on him failing and the other half were preparing to beat him to death when he was the reason for Freed failing.

"I-I am. I a-always knew y-you w-would" she said.

"You did?" asked Laxus, getting a slight smile on his face. "Thanks. I'm glad you passed as well. Everyone in your family must be proud of you."

Lucy was happy that Laxus had acknowledged her, but at the same time, she was wishing that he hadn't brought her family into this. She looked down, catching Laxus's attention with this. "Lucy? What is it?"

"N-nothing. J-just that m-my f-father h-has always b-been strict and-and w-well, I-I'm afraid I-I'll d-disappoint h-him" said Lucy.

Now, if there was one thing Laxus knew, it was disappointment. For most of his life, he had been just that...a disappointment. However, through experience he learned that you're only a disappointment if you just give up. If you keep trying your absolute hardest, there is no way you could disappoint someone. He proved this the night he finally graduated after saving Iruka-sensei with the Shadow Clone Jutsu. "Don't worry. All you have to do is do your best. If you do that, you'll never disappoint. Believe it!" This picked Lucy's spirits up. If there was one thing she always admired about Laxus, it was his never give up attitude.

It was around that time that another man came onto the scene. "Lady Lucy, let's go. You shouldn't associate with that thing" said the man. He had the same eyes as her, indicating he was also a Hyuga.

"B-but..." Lucy tried to protest.

"No Lady Lucy. He's not right. You can't believe anything he says" said the Hyuga as he took Lucy away. Laxus looked down. He was used to this...adults grabbing children and dragging them away from him. He knew why, thanks to Mizuki's big mouth and an explanation later from the Hokage, but he still didn't understand. He wasn't the nine tails; he just had the beast sealed inside him.

"B-but, he t-told me t-to not give up, w-what's so b-bad about t-that?" asked Lucy. The Hyuga stopped in his tracks, turning around to see Laxus walking away, head down. Being a Hyuga, he could easily read people and in Laxus he saw a sense of sadness and loneliness. He hadn't seen this before, probably blinded by the whole nine tails thing. After what Lucy told him, he finally decided to take a good look at the boy...perhaps he was wrong. This boy was trying to encourage Lucy, something she didn't normally receive at home. Perhaps he wasn't the demon the entire village saw him as.

A group of men came walking past the two Hyugas, obviously coming from a bar. "Hey! It's that Thing!" one of them exclaimed quietly to the rest of his group so that Laxus wouldn't hear. The other men picked up various object lying around in the street and alleys, including a broken bottle of sake, a wooden plank with a few rusty nails, and even a rather large wrench. The men snuck up behind Laxus; ready to beat him as the other villagers just simply watched. Most of the villagers were hoping that the men would give Laxus a good smack or two before some of the ANBU intervened. To them, it was one of the more entertaining things in the village...watching a few people take a shot as the one they labeled 'Demon Child'.

Laxus felt something coming up behind him. This was a familiar feeling to him and he learned how to detect it. If he didn't know how to detect it, he most likely wouldn't be alive. It was the feeling of someone wanting to hurt him. Laxus turned around just in time to see the group of men charge towards him. He did what he would normally do, he began to run. Laxus had gotten half way down the street when he realized no on as following him. He turned around to see those men on the ground unconscious and the Hyuga man, holding Lucy's hand, standing over them. It was obvious that he had knocked them unconscious.

Lucy was a little surprised that her caretaker had actually decided to help Laxus. For as long as she could remember, he did everything he could to keep her away from Laxus. Laxus approached the Hyuga with caution, not sure if this was some sort of trick. "Honestly, I don't really see why they hate you so much. You're nice to Lady Lucy, so you can't be that bad" the Hyuga said. Laxus was pretty sure he had just managed to make another friend.

"Umm, thanks for the help back there...uhh" replied Laxus, not sure of the man's name.

"I'm Ko Hyuga, pleased to make your acquaintance Laxus" said Ko. Lucy hid behind her caretaker, blushing a little. She was also wondering if this meant that Ko would actually let her talk to Laxus from now on. "I'm sorry, but it is getting late and Lady Lucy's father is expecting her home. Perhaps we will see each other some other time." Ko's last remark encouraged Lucy that perhaps he wouldn't try to force her away from Laxus.

~~~~~~~~\\\\\\\\\line break/~~~~~~~~~~

Laxus, Bickslow, Freed, and Evergreen showed up at the training grounds the following morning at 10:30. Kakashi had told them to meet up at 9:00am, but they had already gotten into the routine that Kakashi was going to be at least two hours late.

Just after 11:00am, Kakashi finally showed. "You're late!" shouted Laxus and Evergreen.

"Good morning. Sorry I'm late, but there was this little old lady and..." Kakashi stopped as he saw Evergreen getting angry with him. "Anyways, I'm here, so who's ready for some wonderful teambuilding exercises?"

As soon as he mentioned it, all four members of Team 7 looked at Kakashi with killing intent. They had all just about had it with these exercises, "We don't want none of your stinking' teambuilding exercises! We've been doing those for what feels like forever!" shouted Laxus. "I think it's about time that you finally teach us a cool ninja technique or something, right guys?" Laxus looked to Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen for support and surprisingly, he got it.

"The idiot is right, Kakashi-sensei. Those teambuilding exercises of yours aren't getting us anywhere" said Freed. Kakashi was feeling slightly insulted that they were attacking his teambuilding exercises.

Kakashi sighed. He was wondering when this day would come. "Alright, I suppose we've done enough of those exercises for now" said Kakashi in defeat. "I suppose it's time we work on your guys' chakra control."

"Why do we have to do that? We spent the last four years learning how to control chakra?!" Laxus blurted out. "We get our first real training session. Now why can't you teach us a cool new Jutsu or something?"

"Laxus, chakra control is very important. Without the proper control, you would never be able to master anything above a D-rank Jutsu" Evergreen said after smacking him upside the head.

"Evergreen's right Laxus" Kakashi said. "If you hope to be able to learn a cool Jutsu, you must learn how to control the flow and release of chakra. The lessons you learned in the academy are basic, but they are not enough."

"Fine. It beats catching that damned cat any ways I wonder what sort of demon that cat came from anyways" said Laxus.

Somewhere in the hidden cloud, a young woman with blonde hair felt the urge to sneeze.

As if scripted perfectly, said cat came running out of the trees with a genin team in pursuit. Unfortunately for Laxus, Tora remembered him from the last time Team 7 was assigned to capture her and proceeded to claw Laxus in the face before darting off into the woods.

"I swear that the village makes more off of that cat than all the other D and C-ranks combined" said Kakashi quietly. "Anyways, today we'll be working on the first of the regular chakra control exercises, the tree climbing exercise."

"Tree climbing?" Evergreen questions while the others looked on with a bit of curiosity.

"Yes, it's the first exercise in chakra control. The idea is to hold a constant chakra at the bottom of your feet and use it to stick to a surface, in particular the side of a tree, while you walk up it" Kakashi explained. He further instructed the genin in that exercise and they each proceeded to a tree. Laxus and Freed took a few steps up the tree before falling to the ground. Bickslow and Evergreen had managed to climb the entire tree with little effort. Kakashi noted that there control was the best of the group. They were instructed to work on that exercise for the remainder of the day until they could climb the entire tree. After that, they were to exhaust their chakra as they continued to refine the technique.

~~~~~~~~~~~\\\\\\\\\\\\\line break/~~~~~~

Out of the three rookie instructors, Kurenai had begun teaching her students much earlier than either Kakashi or Asuma. It was already clear to her that her team had no pressing issues with one another, except for Lucy wishing that Laxus was on her team, and they didn't require much effort getting the three of them to work together. As such, Kurenai had begun actual training with them only a week or two out of the academy. Asuma followed, but it took a bit longer.

~~~~~\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\line break\\\\\\\\\\\~~~~~~~~~~~

For Laxus and Freed, it was getting late. Evergreen and Bickslow had already called it a night as they didn't have anywhere near the chakra reserved that Freed, let alone Laxus, had. However, they had accomplished the training after about two hours. Laxus and Freed were locked in a competition as to who would reach the top first. After the day ended, they were each about two-thirds up the tree.

The following day was a mission day for them filled with more exciting D-ranks. It was obvious that Laxus and Freed were getting irritated at having to do those. By the second day of their training, the two boys of Team 7 had managed to make it up to the top of the tree. Freed had been the first to reach the top, although he noted that Laxus was not far behind, making it to the top the next attempt. The three of them were instructed to refine the exercise for the remainder of the training days that week, until they had it down perfectly. They even used their free day to dedicate to the training.

~~~~~~~~/LINE BREAK\\\\\\\\\~~~~~~~~

"Alright, Team 7. For your next mission, you can either babysit an elder's grandson, shop in the neighboring village, or..." the Hokage was cut off by someone entering the room and whispering something in the Hokage's ear. "Well, it appears Tora has escaped again."

Team 7 shuttered at the thought of having to catch that cat again. "No!" Laxus shouted out. "I don't want another stinking D-rank. I want a real mission!" Surprisingly, Evergreen, Bickslow, and Freed both found themselves agreeing.

 _"I thought it was about time for this"_ Kakashi thought to himself.

"Idiot, you're just a rookie!" Iruka shouted, his head growing to 5 times its original size as he used his Big Head no Jutsu. "Everyone starts off at the bottom and works their way up!"

"But we keep getting the crappiest duties!" Laxus responded. The Hokage sighed. "We've been doing menial tasks for the past two months. It's about time we got something more fitting for a ninja!"

"Laxus, it seems I have to explain to you what these duties are about" the Third said. "Every day, the village receives requests, from babysitting to assassinations. Each request is written down and given a rank of D, C, B, or A. These missions are handed out to ninja based on their experience. If the duty is completed, the village receives payment from the client. You just recently became genins, so D-ranks are perfect for you." Obviously, Laxus was distracted, discussing his favorite ramen. It was then that the Hokage flipped out, and Kakashi knew he was going to get it later.

"But, if you must" the Hokage said. Team 7 diverted their attention to the old Hokage. "I'll give you a C-rank mission." Laxus was ecstatic, Freed' Bickslow, Evergreen were pleasantly surprised, and Kakashi was in disbelief. "You will be acting as bodyguards for a certain individual as they travel to the Land of Waves."

"Who is it?! A Feudal Lord? A princess?" Laxus shouted out.

The door opened, and in walked a slightly drunken looking man. "Eh? You're giving me these brats? Hey you, short one with the stupid looking face, are you really a ninja?" the man asked.

"Ha-ha, who's the short one with the stupid looking face?" Laxus asked, soon realizing it was him as he was the shortest. Laxus tried to charge the man, only to be held back by Kakashi.

"I am the super expert bridge builder Tazuna. I expect protection until I get back to my country and complete my bridge" the old man said. With that, the team departed the village a few hours later.

 **Please review/comment.**

 **I'm thinking of giving laxus a bloodline trait I have few ideas but I want to hear what you think?**


	3. Traveling to the land of wave

**Disclaimer: I do not own naruto and the first person to comment will be dedicated**

The four ninja, plus Tazuna set out of the Leaf village for the Land of Waves, the location of their next mission. They had been walking for roughly a few hours now. During the beginning of their trip, Kakashi explained about the layout of the ninja world and that there were 5 major shinobi nations. Each of those nations had a corresponding Kage that was the leader of the ninja in that nation. However, the Wave Country was a small nation that didn't have any ninja to protect it, although ninja don't normally bother it because of its size. He also explained that it was common for ninja of different countries to encounter one another and do battle as missions between countries tended to interfere with one another.

"Don't worry though" Kakashi reassured. "This is a C-rank mission, which means we won't encounter ninja from other nations." It was at that moment that Kakashi spotted an out of place puddle in the road ahead of them.

As the group passed, two cloaked figures appeared from the puddle. They had claws surrounding their hands with a spiked chain connecting them. Before anyone knew what was happening, the cloaked ninja charged Kakashi, entangling him in their chain. As the two pulled on the chain, Kakashi was instantly ripped to shreds. The four genin stood there horrified. "Kakashi-sensei!" they shouted.

"One down" the enemy ninja said. "Two down." They suddenly appeared behind Laxus. They struck at him with their claws. Laxus was too petrified with fear to move. However, Laxus was spared when sasuke flung a shuriken and kunai at the ninja's chain, pinning it firmly into a tree. Freed proceed to deliver a few kicks to the face of the enemy. When they got the chance, the ninja detached their chain, bolting around Laxus and Freed. Their target was Tazuna.

Evergreen and Bickslow jumped in front of the bridge builder, ready to defend them from the enemy's attack. Before they could strike, Kakashi appeared and knocked the pair to the ground, unconscious but not dead. Everyone realized then that Kakashi had used a substitution when he was attacked. "Laxus, sorry I didn't save you immediately. I didn't think you would freeze like that" Kakashi said to his student.

 _"Damn it. I couldn't do anything. But Freed, it was his first real battle, yet it didn't faze him at all. He saved me_." Laxus thought to himself _._

"Hey you" Freed said to Laxus. "You alright, scaredy cat?" Laxus was getting really pissed at Freed's smugness until he realized a wound on his hand.

"Laxus save it for later" Kakashi said, picking up on the wound as well. "There claws are poisoned. We must open the wound and remove it, or you will die." Kakashi turned his attention to their client. "Tazuna, I need to talk to you. These are mist chunin."

The two ninja finally woke to find themselves tied to a tree. "How did you read our movements like that?" one asked.

"On a sunny day like this, when it hasn't rained, there is not going to be a puddle" Kakashi explained. "If I wanted to, I could have killed you, but I needed to know who you were after. Ninja attacking ninja is something we have to deal with, but their target wasn't one of us, right Tazuna?" Everyone turned to the bridge builder. "We haven't heard that there were any ninja after you. We were only hired to protect you from thieves or gangs. This was supposed to be a C-rank mission, but it has now become a B-rank, if not an A-rank. I'm sure you have your reasons, but the mission becomes more complicated when information is left out."

"Sorry, but we aren't ready for this mission. We need to head back and get Laxus some medicine for that wound" Sakura said, a little relieved. Unfortunately for her, Laxus had to open his mouth.

Suddenly, blood splattered to the ground. Laxus had pierced his own hand with a kunai. Everyone looked on in shock. "Laxus! What are you doing?!" Evergreen screamed. While Bickslow screamed "What the hell man!

"Damn it, why am I always so far behind?" Naruto asked. "I've completed many missions and even practiced justu on my own every day. I should become stronger. I won't lose to you anymore, Sasuke. With this kunai, I will protect the old man and continue this mission."

"Laxus" Kakashi said, smiling. "It's good that you're releasing the poison, but anymore and you'll die from blood loss." Kakashi helped Laxus to close the wound, but saw that it was already healing itself at an accelerated rate. He knew why…the nine tails. Kakashi just wrapped the hand and told Laxus that he will be alright. The Leaf ninja agreed to continue the mission, but told Tazuna that this mission was becoming at least a B-rank and that he would have to pay the village when the funds become available.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~\\\\\\\line break/~~~~~

"You failed!" a rather short man shouted in a castle far away. "You were supposed to be very strong former ninja." Getting pissed off at the little man's yelling one of the ninja swung his sword, stopping just before it cut into the man's neck.

"Stop bitching. This time I'll go and kill them myself" the masked ninja said.

"Heh, are you sure? It seems as if the enemy has hired some skilled ninja" the short man said. "And with the failure of the Demon Brothers, they are aware of us now."

"Who do you think I am?" the masked ninja said, irritant. "There's a reason I'm called the Demon of the Hidden Mist, Zabuza Momochi."

~~~~~~~~\\\\\\\\\line break/~~~~~~~~~~

A few more days of traveling passed and the group of five came to the edge of the sea where a Ferrier was waiting to take them from the Land of Fire to the Land of Waves. The boat was small and it was barely able to hold the seven of them, not to mention it almost tipped a few times because of Laxus. Soon, Tazuna's fabled bridge came into view and Laxus had to admit that it was impressive as he stood up to observe, nearly tipping the boat…again.

"Wow, its huge!" Laxus shouted out. Suddenly, he was silenced by Tazuna and the farrier.

"Why do you think we are hiding in the mist and the motor isn't running. We don't want Gato to find us." The farrier said.

"Who's Gato?" Evergreen asked.

"He's a wealthy shipping merchant known across the great nations. He came to our country, promising a boom to our economy. However, after a little, it was clear that he was only taking over our economy for his own gain. He quickly took control of our shipping companies, the major source of income for us. Over time, he took over our economy using his secret drug trade and some of the ninja he employs. Through force, he now has a monopoly on all shipping traffic into and out of our country" Tazuna explained. "The only thing he has to fear is the completion of that bridge."

"So that is why those ninja were after you" Freed realized. "But why did you hide the fact that ninja were after you?"

"Because of Gato, the Wave Country is poor. Even the feudal lord has no money. We can't afford an expensive B-rank mission right now." Tazuna explained.

The group got off the boat, but Kakashi had an uneasy feeling. He knew that if they attacked again, it would be by jonin-level ninja this time. Suddenly, Laxus heard something off in the bushes and tossed a few shuriken, just barely missing a poor rabbit. However, Kakashi was even more suspicious. The rabbit was a white snow rabbit, yet it was late spring. Suddenly, Kakashi knocked his team to the ground as a large sword came flying towards them.

When Kakashi looked up, he saw a man standing on the hilt of the blade, Zabuza Momochi.

"Everyone stay back. This guy's on a whole different level" Kakashi said. He lifted his headband to reveal a red eye with three black marks, a Sharingan.

"Heh, so you would be Sharingan Kakashi" Zabuza said. This shocked Sasuke that Kakashi had a Sharingan, the dojutsu of his clan. "I already get to see the famed Sharingan, I'm almost honored."

"What's the Sharingan?" Laxus asked.

"It's one of the three great dojutsu, also known as the copy wheel" Sasuke explained, as it was part of his clan. "It's said that the Sharingan gives the user the ability to defeat all types of taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu. But that's not all."

"Hehe, that's right" Zabuza said. "What's even scarier is that you can copy your opponent's techniques once you see them. Kakashi, when I was a jonin for the Hidden Mist, there was a page in my bingo book about you. It said that you had copied over 1000 jutsus."

 _What's going on? The Sharingan only appears in a select few members of the Uchiha clan?"_ Freed thought to himself.

Zabuza jumped off the tree and landed on water, just a few meters away. Kakashi attacked the ninja, who just turned to water, revealing it to be a water clone. Before Kakashi knew what was happening, Zabuza appeared behind him. "Water style: Water Prison Jutsu " Zabuza called out as Kakashi became trapped in in a ball of water. Zabuza then made another water clone to deal with the kids while he held Kakashi prisoner.

"Hmph. Wearing headbands and acting like ninja" the water clone said. "But you know what? A real ninja is someone who has survived numerous brushes with death. Basically, once you're good enough to be listed in my Bingo Book, then you can call yourself a ninja." The clone disappeared, only to reappear and kick Laxus, sending him flying and knocking his headband off.

"Take Tazuna and run! You're no match for him. His clone can't move far away, and he's stuck here keeping me prisoner" Kakashi yelled out. As the clone began to move towards Laxus, he thought he was really going to die there. He froze again, but suddenly realized the oath that he had sworn a little while ago. Laxus charged at Zabuza, only to be sent back to where Evergreen, Bickslow, and Freed were standing. However, he got what he wanted. Laxus was able to reclaim his forehead protector from Zabuza's clone.

"Put this in your handbook you brow less freak. I'm going to be the best ninja! Laxus Dreyer" Laxus exclaimed. "Freed lend me your ear." Freed didn't like the idea of working with Laxus, but realized that he had no choice.

"Hehe" the clone laughed. "When I was your age, I had already slaughtered my entire class. That is how I got the name, the Demon of the Hidden Mist."

"The Hidden Mist graduation exam?" Kakashi asked, still trapped in water.

"Ah, so you've heard of it" Zabuza said.

"Wait, what exam?" Evergreen asked.

"Hehe, fights to the death between students" Zabuza said, letting some killer intent loose. "Children raised together as friends, were pitted together until one lost their life."

"Ten years ago, the Hidden Mist changed their graduation exam as a result of one child who killed his entire class, without pause or hesitation" Kakashi said. "Zabuza." It was at that moment that Freed attacked the clone, only to be forced to the ground. He was starting to cough up blood.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Laxus said, making about 30 clones of himself. They jumped at Zabuza with their kunai, only to be dispelled by one swing of his sword. As Laxus slid past Freed, he handed his teammate a fuma shuriken. Freed threw the shuriken at the real Zabuza, not the clone. However, he caught it.

"What?! Another shuriken in the shadow of the first?" Zabuza said as another shuriken sailed towards him. He couldn't catch this one. However, he jumped to dodge the second shuriken. Freed's attack had missed. Or did it?

The second shuriken disappeared in a puff of smoke, revealing that Laxus had been transformed into the shuriken. Before landing in the water, Laxus threw a kunai at the Mist jonin, it was aimed for the back of his neck and he wasn't going to be able to dodge this one. Zabuza did the only thing he could. He jumped back, releasing Kakashi from his prison. "Great plan you two" he said to Laxus and Freed.

"Heh, I just got distracted and released the jutsu" Zabuza said, trying not to admit he had been bested by a couple of brats.

"No, they forced you to move" Kakashi stated. It was now Zabuza versus Kakashi. The two ninja jumped away from each other. Zabuza flipped through a series of hand seals as Kakashi copied the seals exactly at the same time. "Water style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" The both shouted at the same time. Two water dragons rose up out of the water and began to do battle with one another. In the end, it was a draw.

Zabuza was shocked that Kakashi was following him so close and so exact. "My movements, is he…" Zabuza was interrupted.

"Reading them?" Kakashi finished.

Kakashi flipped through a few more seal, shocking Zabuza. "Water style: Water Vortex!" Kakashi called out as a blast of water sent Zabuza crashing back into a tree.

"How?" Zabuza said, weakly. "Can you see the future?"

"Yeah" Kakashi responded. "You're going to die." Just as he said that, two senbon came sailing out of nowhere and nailed Zabuza in the neck, killing him. Out of surprise, Kakashi looked up to see a Mist ninja wearing an ANBU mask. To everyone's surprise, the ninja was a kid, no older than Laxus.

"Thank you very much. I have been searching for the opportunity to kill this criminal" the mysterious ninja said.

"That mask, you must be a Mist hunter ninja" Kakashi stated. The ninja agreed.

"What the hell?! Who are you?" Laxus said as the hunter ninja caught his attention.

"Back down Laxus" Kakashi ordered. "He's not our enemy."

"It's not that. He killed Zabuza, our enemy, that easily. Who the hell is he?" Laxus blurted.

"Laxus, in this world there are kids younger than you, but stronger than me. Just accept that fact." Kakashi stated. With that, the hunter ninja took Zabuza's body and disappeared. For Kakashi, something still wasn't right and it wasn't his lack of energy as he collapsed to the ground.

The four genin and Tazuna then proceeded to carry their lazy sensei's body towards Tazuna's house.

~~~~~~~~~\\\\\\\\\\\line break/~~~~~~~~

Back near the site of the battle, the Mist ninja was preparing to do something with Zabuza's body. He pulled out a pair of scissors to cut the bandages off Zabuza.

"That's alright. I'll do it myself" Zabuza said, waking up from his 'death'. "Damn, you sure are rough." Zabuza pulled the senbon out of his neck.

"You shouldn't be rough yourself, or else you will die from pulling them out" the masked ninja said.

"How long are you going to wear that mask, Cana?" Zabuza asked.

"It reminds me of the old days. Plus it is useful in situations like this" Cana said. "You shouldn't move for about a week, while you heal."

"Hmph, you are so pure and clever. That's what I like about you" Zabuza said.

"That's because I'm just a kid." Cana smiled.

~~~~~~~~\\\\\\\\\\\line break/~~~~~~~~~

Kakashi woke up, feeling something was wrong and scaring Laxus and Evergreen so much that they nearly choked on the food they were eating. "What's wrong Kakashi-sensei?" Laxus asked.

"Hunter ninjas usually dispose of the body on sight. How did the hunter ninja dispose of Zabuza?" Kakashi asked.

"I don't know, he just took the body and disappeared" Evergreen said, her words not reassuring Kakashi. Freed and Bickslow also realized what Kakashi was thinking. There was no way simple needles could kill Zabuza like that. He was still alive.

"What the hell do you mean?!" Laxus shouted out. "You even said he was dead!"

"I did, but that was most likely a momentary death" Kakashi explained. "He knew about the body's structure thoroughly, and he used a weapon with a low chance to kill. He was there to save Zabuza, not kill him. There is no assurance that Zabuza is alive or dead, but I say we have a week's time before Gato rallies another, stronger opponent or Zabuza returns. You guys will need training. Over the next week, we will try to make you strong before Gato returns."

"What's a little training going to do?" Evergreen said, taking Laxus's place as the loudmouth on the team.

"Evergreen, who saved me back there?" Kakashi said. "You guys are growing rapidly, especially you Laxus."

"So we will train until then! Sounds like fun!" Laxus shouted, reclaiming his title as team loudmouth from Evergreen.

"That's no fun" a little boy said, appearing in the room.

"Oh, Inari. You're here" Tazuna said. "This is Inari, my grandson. Inari, say hello to everyone. They are ninja who protected me."

The boy turned to his mom and grandpa. "Mom, they are going to die" the little boy said. "There is no way that they can win against Gato."

"What the hell are you talking about you little brat!" Laxus said, only to be held back by Evergreen and Bickslow. "Listen kid, one day I'm going to become an incredible ninja and Hokage. I don't know who this Gato guy is, but I'm not going to lose against him."

"What are you, stupid?" Inari responded, sending Laxus into an even greater rage. "If you don't want to die, leave." With that Inari left. Tazuna apologized for his grandson's behavior and explained to everyone how his father was killed by some of Gatos's thugs.

Laxus had followed the boy, who was in his room crying, but he decided to leave the kid alone.

 **Author Note**

 **Okay, there's no need to change the initial encounter with Zabuza and Cana. I do feel as if the cannon did that part alright. I will be changing up the next parts of the wave a little bit though, including the week they have to prepare and finally the next confrontation between the Konoha ninja and the Kiri missing-nins.**

 **Hope you enjoyed. Please review/comment.**


	4. One Week

**Disclaimer: I do not own naruto or Fairy tail and the first person to comment will be dedicated**

Kakashi had brought his team out to the edge of a lake. Kakashi knew it was true…Zabuza was alive, and he would most likely be back. With the false death that the 'hunter nin' had put Zabuza in, Kakashi figured he had about a week to get his team ready for the inevitable rematch with Zabuza and whatever else he brought with him.

"Kakashi-sensei, so what are we doing?" asked Evergreen.

"Easy, we are making you stronger" replied Kakashi. "I have the next chakra control exercise for the three of you, water walking."

"What? Water walking?" asked Evergreen and Laxus in unison. Was that even possible? Apparently it was.

Kakashi demonstrated by gathering chakra in his feet and hobbling with his crutches out onto the water, remaining afloat on top of the surface, Laxus and Evergreen looked on in amazement with Freed and Bickslow looking on with an indifferent expression.

"You are to expel chakra from the base of your feet at a constant rate, keeping you afloat on the surface" explained Kakashi. "You saw how I did it, now I want the three of you to try" he instructed.

Laxus was the first to try, gathering chakra into his feet and taking a step out onto the water, only to fall straight in, soaking himself. Evergreen was next. Much to Kakashi's surprise, she had managed to stay afloat, even though she was bobbing like crazy, trying to get herself to stabilize. After a few minutes, she finally had the flow of chakra down and was standing on the surface just like Kakashi was.

"Wow Evergreen, it's great that you can already do that!" shouted Laxus. Evergreen turned around, giving a slight smile while scratching the side of her face.

Freed was next, confident that he would get it; he took a step onto the water. Like Laxus, he fell through the surface.

Bickslow was last, like Evergreen he had managed to stay afloat, even he was bobbing like crazy, trying to get himself to stabilize.

Kakashi instructed the three of them to work on the exercise. Since Laxus and Freed hadn't gotten it done yet, they had to get the technique down first. Evergreen and Bickslow on the other hand, had already managed to stand on the water after their first attempt. Kakashi attributed their success to their superior chakra control over the other two boys.

For the next two days, Kakashi had all four of them working on the exercise. He had Evergreen and Bickslow refining the technique by doing various physical exercises such as running, jumping, and skating on the surface of the water. Freed and Laxus were still struggling to get the water walking exercise and had resorted to taking off all but their shorts so their clothes wouldn't become any more soaked than they already were.

At the end of the second day, Laxus and Freed were getting close. They were each able to hold the chakra flow for a few seconds before falling through. Like the tree climbing exercise, they had inadvertently turned this into some sort of competition, not wanting the other one to best them. Late at night, Freed managed to get the exercise down first but Laxus was only an attempt or two behind, showing Freed that the 'idiot' really wasn't that far behind after all.

Back at Tazuna's house Freed and Freed showed up, finally. Kakashi was glad that the two had finally got the basics down. He gave the two boys one more day to refine their technique while he, Bickslow, and Evergreen would join Tazuna on the bridge for guard duty.

The following day, Laxus and Freed were back at the lake, working on the same thing that Evergreen and Bickslow was doing the other day. Both boys were getting impatient by this as there was really no way for them to compete against one another. And then Freed made a suggestion.

"Laxus fight me" he said. It was true, he wanted to fight Laxus. Even though he always wiped the floor with Laxus back in the academy, he had taken notice of the blonde's rapid progress. Now he wanted to fight the blonde.

"What?" asked a slightly surprised Laxus.

"You heard me, idiot. Fight me, right here. The first one to either give up or fall through the surface loses. Or are you afraid scaredy cat?" taunted Freed.

That last phrase did it as Laxus accepted the challenge. "That's it, I'm finally going to kick your ass and show to you what a good ninja I actually am!"

Laxus ran at Freed, only to receive a foot in the gut, sending him sliding back across the water and through the surface. Round 1 went to Freed.

"Come on, is that all you've got?" said Freed. Laxus picked himself out of the water and caught his breath.

"Heh, you wish" said Laxus. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he said as 6 clones poofed into existence and attacked Freed. All six clones and the real Laxus charged Freed and he found himself actually finding a certain difficulty fending off six attackers at once. Perhaps there was something more to the idiot after all.

Freed won the second match as well, followed by the third and fourth (In Laxus's defense, he lost control of his chakra for a moment on the fourth try, falling through the water not because of Freed, but because of his own chakra control). But each time, the victory came with an increased challenge. Finally, it was getting late at night and the two boys had been going at each other for some time now. Both of them were getting tired and they could feel it. The both barely had enough energy to keep themselves afloat.

"Hn, perhaps you're not so much of an idiot after all. Let's go back" said Freed. That had been just what he wanted, some actual training that made him stronger, not just some meaningless running and jumping around on the surface of the water.

Laxus stared at the Uchiha wide eyed. Did Freed actually compliment him for once? Laxus grinned at the Uchiha. "What's…the matter…giving up already?" he huffed.

"Idiot…you can barely keep yourself…afloat. The last thing I need…is to drag your unconscious and drowned body back to…Kakashi" said Freed, panting as hard as Laxus.

Both boys had to admit it. That last match was good enough to bring them to this point. To emphasize on that fact, they had to rely on each other to drag the other home. They finally made it home, only to collapse through the door.

"Freed! Laxus!" shouted Evergreen and Bickslow, rushing to their side. "What happened? You guys are all dirty and bruised?"

"Heh, both of us…training" said Laxus.

Kakashi smiled. "Looks like the two of you have been sparring" he said.

Freed grinned, kind of, and nodded.

"Good. That helps you train not only chakra control effectively, but also taijutsu. Starting tomorrow, you'll be joining us on the bridge" said Kakashi as the two dragged themselves over to the table and began eating just about anything in sight.

~~~~~~~~~~\\\\\\\\\\\line break/~~~~~~~

Kakashi, Evergreen, Bickslow, and Freed were at the bridge the next day. Laxus had managed to sleep in. In reality, they most likely forgot about him. At the bridge, there was a problem with the workers leaving their jobs. Apparently the thought of Gato was enough to scare off most of the workers. Having ninja around really didn't help. At noon, Tazuna decided to end work for the day.

The five of them went into town, only to see the depressing state that Gato was driving the country into. There was little food in the store and most of the population had resorted to thievery. Suddenly, Evergreen felt something tough her on the behind. "PERVERT!" She screamed, knocking a man hard in the face who was trying to pickpocket her. Shortly after, she felt someone tug on her again. Ready to punch another thief, she soon realized that it was just a child begging for food. As a result, she gave in a gave the kid a handful of candy.

"This is why we need the bridge, a symbol of courage. We need these people to let their fears go and once again stand up for themselves. If that bridge can be completed, the city will return to the old times when it was prosperous and happy" Tazuna explained.

~~~~~~~~\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\line break/~~~~~~~

The five of them left early for construction on the bridge. Once again, no one woke Laxus. As Laxus got up and realized that he was late, he headed off into the forest to use as a shortcut to get to the bridge. There, he encountered a beautiful young lady. "Who are you?" Laxus asked, trying to figure out what the lady wanted. "Oh, is this the plant you are looking for?"

"Yes, thank you" the woman said. "Oh, that forehead protector. Does that mean you are a ninja?"

"Yeah, you notice? I'm a ninja" Laxus said. "And one day, I'm going to be the strongest ninja in my village."

The girl laughed. "Do you have someone important to you?" she asked. "When a person has someone precious to them, they will truly become strong."

"Yeah, I understand that" Laxus said. "I'm going to become strong so that I can protect my friends!"

The lady goes up. "You'll become strong, I know it. I hope we'll meet again sometime. I want to see how strong you've become" she said as she walked away. "Oh, and by the way, I'm a boy." Laxus's world was shattered. _'That "boy" smelled a lot like a girl'_ he thought.

Arriving at the bridge, Laxus realized that more workers had left, afraid that Gato would kill them if they continued. However, with Laxus there, Tazuna got an idea.

"Hey kid, those clones of yours" he asked as Laxus looked at him curiously. "Can they do anything else besides get hit with a sword?" Laxus was now getting a little mad, but Kakashi picked up on Tazuna's thoughts.

"What he really means Laxus, is make a bunch of your shadow clones and help with construction on the bridge. That way, this bridge will get completed sooner, and you will really be helping the village here" Kakashi said. Laxus actually agreed. To everyone's amazement, the work on the bridge had shown a lot of progress after that day. The bridge was now only a few days from completion.

~~~~~~~~\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\line break/~~~~~~~~

It was now one week since team 7's encounter with Zabuza. For Kakashi, this meant that they would be seeing Zabuza or another opponent here shortly. As such, Team 7 was on high alert, except for a particular blonde ninja. Yes, Laxus had managed to sleep in once again. However, it was a good thing that he did. Suddenly, a knock came on the door, followed by a crash.

"Are you Tazuna's daughter?" one of the men standing at the hole of a door said. He had long grey hair with a black cap. At his side was a rather large katana. "Sorry, but I'm afraid you're coming with us."

Tsunami knew she was in trouble. Out of reaction, she grabbed Inari, who was right next to her and began to run. Before they knew it, the two thugs had her cornered. As for Inari, they only needed one hostage and one of the thugs was dying to cut something up. "Should I kill him?" the other thug said. This one was larger and more muscular than the first thug. He had a patch over one of this eyes and was also carrying a katana like his partner. Out of desperation, Tsunami did the best she could.

"You want a hostage, right?" She said. "If you even touch him, I will kill myself." The bandits were depressed by this. They had really been hoping to kill someone, but they needed a hostage and two dead bodies would do them no good. Inari had managed to escape, but the two thugs had taken his mother. Sitting in a corner, Inari began to cry and think on what Kakashi had said to him the other day, regarding Laxus.

*Flashback*

"You little sissy!" Laxus said to him. At that moment, he got up and left the house. Kakashi followed him, hoping to calm the crying boy down.

"Inari, about Laxus. He didn't mean what he said, but you have to understand that, like you, he didn't grow up with his father around either. In fact, Laxus has never known either of his parents" Kakashi said, trying to calm the crying boy down. "He has had a rougher childhood than you can imagine, but he always manages to see the best out of life. Perhaps, he's just tired of crying. He knows what it means to truly be strong, just like your dad."

*End Flashback*

After a few moments of reflection, Inari realized that he had to let the cry-baby in him go and grow up. He mustered his courage and pursued the bandits. _'Will I also become strong like Dad?'_ he thought to himself. Upon reaching the bandits, he shouted out getting their attention. The bandits turned around to face him and his mother called out for him to run. "Get away from my Mom!" he screamed as he charged the bandits.

The bandits drew their swords and proceeded to slash at the boy. Their attacks hit, cutting him to pieces, much to the horror of his mother. "Inari!" She screamed out.

But, before she could say anymore, Inari disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving cut pieces of wood. "Sorry for being late. I've been doing that a lot this past week" Laxus said, holding Inari who was unscathed. "But a hero usually shows up at the last seconds anyways. Great job Inari. Now let me take it from here."

The bandits charged at Laxus who was all alone, or was he. Suddenly, two figures appeared from behind and gave the thugs a good kick to the head. Before they became unconscious, the bandits turned to see two more Laxus coming at them with their feet only inches from their heads. Laxus then turned to Inari. "Sorry for calling you a sissy yesterday. You're actually pretty strong." Inari began to tear up.

"Damn it. I promised myself I wasn't going to cry anymore. Now you're going to make fun of me." Inari said.

"Inari, it's alright to cry when you're happy" Laxus explained. With that, he headed off towards the bridge, knowing that something was wrong.

~~~~~~\\\\\\\\\\\line break/~~~~~~~~~~~

Kakashi, Freed, Bickslow, Evergreen, and Tazuna arrived at the bridge to find most of the workers either injured or dead. Before they could realize what was going on, the mist began to thicken as Kakashi realized that Zabuza had returned. "Hehe, I see your brats are still shaking" Zabuza called out through the mist. Suddenly, they were surrounded by about a half dozen Zabuzas.

"Hmph, I'm shaking from excitement" Freed responded as Kakashi signaled for him to go. With that, Freed defeated the clones with only a few movements of his knives, much to Evergreen and Tazuna's surprise. The group looked up to see two ninja standing before them, Zabuza and that hunter ninja from the other day.

"The brat has grown. Perhaps I have found myself a rival, eh Cana?" the Demon of the Mist asked. Cana nodded and Kakashi knew that his hunch had been correct.

"That masked woman; she's obviously a comrade of Zabuza…" Kakashi said, but was interrupted.

"I'll fight her" Freed said. "Tricking us with that stupid act, I hate bastards like that."

Freed engaged the masked figure, who brought some water around him to defend herself from Freed's attacks with.

"Evergreen and Bickslow guard Tazuna and stay by my side. We'll leave the masked ninja to Freed" Kakashi ordered as Evergreen and Bickslow complied.

 **Author Note**

 **Alright, sorry if this is starting to sound somewhat like the cannon plot line, there hasn't been a major event that would deter the story from the actual plot line. I did change up the training sequence a little to make up for that Kakashi had already taught his students the tree walking and that they were now on water walking. so far no one has voted on the bloodline limit for Laxus if there are no votes i will go with my own idea.**

 **The upcoming battle will be different.**


	5. The Battle

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or fairy tail and the first person to comment will be dedicated**

 **Dedicated to** Guest

Freed had begun his battle with the masked ninja as the two assaulted each other with a hail of senbon and shuriken. None of the shuriken or senbon hit their target as they had all collided with one another in midair, canceling the attacks. As the air began to grow moist, so did the ground. Puddles began to form around the two combatants. The masked ninja halted his attack and began to speak.

"I don't want to kill you, but you won't stand down will you?" the masked ninja said to Freed, who responded with his usual response. "I see, but you won't be able to keep up with my speed the next time." The ninja began flipping through a series of hand seals and Freed rushed towards him, hoping to stop him before he completed some sort of Jutsu. Unfortunately, he realized the trap the moment he grabbed onto the arm of the ninja. "Now that I have one of your arms preoccupied, you won't be able to counter this." "Water style: Flying Water Needles!" With that, the water around them began to rise, forming sharp needles of water. Freed channeled some chakra to his legs and jumped up before the needles could impact him. He then retaliated by throwing some shuriken at the masked ninja, who had just barely dodged them. Freed then appeared behind the ninja and sent him flying back with a kick to the stomach, much to Zabuza's surprise.

Kakashi turned to Zabuza. "I can't have you underestimating my students by calling them 'brats'" Kakashi explained. "Freed is the #1 rookie in the village, Evergreen is the brightest, Bickslow is the calmest and most level headed kid in the village and Laxus is well, Laxus, the #1 hyperactive knuckleheaded ninja in the village."

"C, just because your brat scored one lucky hit, doesn't mean he can take Cana" said Zabuza to Kakashi. "She's just getting started and it looks like it's all over for your brat now."

Freed felt a sudden chill surround him. "Ice release: Demonic Ice Mirrors!" Cana called out. Freed was shocked that he was now surrounded by a dome of ice mirrors, with Cana's reflection in each one. He tried to figure out what that Jutsu was, but he did not remember the 'ice release' being one of the common elemental affinities. "So she has a blood limit, this will get interesting" thought Freed. However, in reality, he was extremely tense, not sure what to expect at all.

"Now I'll show you my real speed" Cana said. Suddenly, Freed was hit with a barrage of needles, none of which severely injured him, this time around. Seeing Freed's troubles, Evergreen and Bickslow ran to aid him, temporarily abandoning their charge. Evergreen threw a kunai at Cana, who came out of the mirror only to catch it. Suddenly, she was knocked onto the ground outside the mirrors.

"Laxus Dreyer has arrived!" Laxus shouted.

 _'That idiot show off'_ Freed thought as he picked himself off the ground. He was covered in scratches and cuts from the needles, but nothing was fatal, yet.

"Now that I'm here, the hero usually shows up like this and kicks the enemy's ass instantly!" Laxus exclaimed.

 _'That idiot'_ Kakashi thought. Zabuza got a little laugh at Kakashi's facial expression. _'What kind of ninja does he think he is, barging in like that?'_

Laxus threw a few shuriken at the distracted Zabuza, only to have them knocked away by Cana's needles. "Hmm, so you don't want me attacking them? You're soft as always, Cana" Zabuza said to his comrade. Freed realized the situation he was in. Apparently, Cana had been holding back. None of those hits were vital, only mere scratches so far. However, after the way 'he' 'killed' Zabuza back by the lake, Freed realized that this ninja had deadly accuracy with senbon and he had been holding back.

Now that Laxus had arrived though, perhaps Freed could get out of this. With the idiot working on the outside and himself on the inside, perhaps they could take down Cana. Sadly, he would have to swallow his pride for this and allow Laxus to help him...assuming Laxus hadn't done what he just did.

"Freed, I came in here to save you" Laxus said, now inside the ice dome. Freed was about ready to beat the knucklehead senseless as Cana resumed his assault. Thinking of the ice, Freed made a few hand seals "Fire Style: Great fireball Jutsu" With that, Freed launched a fireball at the mirror that Cana was in. Unfortunately, the ice mirror did not sustain any damage. Afterwards, Laxus and Freed were pelted with a barrage of needle. Laxus made a bunch of clones to attack the mirrors, hoping one of them would be able to get Cana; however, Cana was too fast and the clones were easily defeated.

As Laxus and Freed were facing Cana, Kakashi stared down his opponent. "For a kid to master a Jutsu like that, it must be an advanced bloodline" he said.

"Bloodline?" Evergreen questioned.

"It's a deep lineage, a Jutsu or style of Jutsu passed down by your family. Even I cannot copy it" Kakashi explained. With that, Kakashi revealed his Sharingan, ready to fight Zabuza and end the battle quick.

"The Sharingan. Only one trick, Kakashi? You should know better than to show your moves to an opponent more than once." Zabuza said. The two jonin engaged one another, both piercing the other's hands with kunai.

"You should be honored. You're the first opponent to see my Sharingan twice" Kakashi called out as the two disengaged.

"I've been waiting to say this line. You can't use the same Jutsu on me twice" Zabuza called out as he made a hand seal. Suddenly, the area around them was covered in a thick mist and Zabuza disappeared.

Back in the ice dome, "Damn it. I can't fail here. I have a dream I need to fulfill" Laxus said out loud. Cana then experienced a flashback upon hearing Laxus's words.

*Flashback*

Dream? She remembered himself as a lonely child. Her home in the Land of Water had just been destroyed after the Mizukage's persecution of people with bloodlines. Soon he saw Zabuza standing before him. "An unfortunate child" Zabuza said. "A brat like you is wanted by no one. You will die with neither freedom nor dreams."

"Hehe, you have the same eyes as me" Cana said to Zabuza, striking some sort of emotion in the Demon.

*End flashback*

"Dream. Becoming a true shinobi is difficult for me. If possible, I do not want to kill you, nor have you kill me. But if you come at me, I can destroy my kind heart and come at you as a true shinobi" Cana said to Laxus and Freed. "This bridge is the place we fight to connect our dreams. Please don't hate me. I want to protect someone precious to me, fight for them, and make that person's dreams come true. That is my dream. For that, I can become a shinobi and kill you if I must."

Zabuza laughed at what Cana was saying. He knew that Laxus and Freed had not killed anyone yet and that they did not know what it was like to truly become a shinobi. Kakashi heard this, but couldn't see anything. The mist was too thick, even for his Sharingan. But he figured that Zabuza couldn't see either. Suddenly, about a dozen shuriken came flying at his and Kakashi just barely managed to block them.

"Impressive that you were able to block them, Sharingan Kakashi." Zabuza said, appearing behind him. Kakashi turned around to see that Zabuza's eyes were closed. He disappeared back into the mist. "Kakashi, you have overestimated the use of your Sharingan. You acted as if you could read my mind and see the future, but that Sharingan is merely a trick. Basically, it involves hypnotism and attention to detail. By using those two abilities together, you can make it seem like you are seeing into the future. The answer to combating it is simple. First, I use the mist to make that keen eye of yours useless. Second, I keep my eyes closed to prevent you from influencing me. However, I am an expert in silent killing. I can kill you just by hearing you." Kakashi was worried by this realization.

Zabuza moved to Tazuna and attacked, hoping to take out the bridge builder and Evergreen. As Zabuza swung the blade, it was stopped by the steel plate on Kakashi's gloves. Zabuza growled at kicked Kakashi in the gut before swinging his blade again. Kakashi had just enough time to throw himself backwards to dodge most of the attack; however, the blade still sliced across his chest, creating a rather large gash. He slipped back into the mist again, ready to strike another blow. Now, Kakashi had once been in charge of the ANBU and the Sharingan wasn't his only trick. He made a few hand seals. "Summoning Jutsu!" Kakashi said, summoning eight ninja dogs to his side. He ordered them to find and immobilize Zabuza, which they did without trouble, using the scent of Kakashi's blood on Zabuza's blade to track him.

Laxus woke, just in time to see Freed take the attack that was intended for him. The needles hit Freed in the chest and what appeared to be the liver. Laxus saw Freed "You. You should see the look on your face. You look like a total loser." Freed said to a very shocked Laxus. "Wait, why did you...save me? Why did you do it?" Laxus asked. "My body just moved on its own." replied Freed as he fell. The last thing Laxus saw was freed fall to his knees, just as a single needle that Freed had failed to take hit Laxus in the neck, in roughly the same spot where Zabuza was hit when he was 'killed' a week ago. Laxus slipped into darkness.

~~~~~~\\\\\\\\\line break/~~~~~~~~~~~~

Laxus awoke again, this time finding himself in a damp sewer, unsure of exactly where he was. He heard growling coming from one direction and his curiosity got the best of him. He turned to find the source of the noise. Soon, he found himself standing in for a large gate. **"It's about time the two of us met"** a strange voice said from behind the bars.

"W-who's there," asked a startled Laxus. The voice sounded demonic and it sent Laxus falling back onto his ass.

 **"Why don't you take a close look, child, and see"** said the voice. A faint light filled the room and Laxus could see what was behind the bars.

"Y-you're t-the N-N-Nine tailed f-fox" stuttered Laxus in fear.

 **"Yes, and since you're here, that must mean you're in some sort of trouble"** the nine tails said to Laxus.

"What d-do you m-mean?" Laxus said, still trembling in fear. "A-are you going to k-kill me?"

 **"No. Even if I wanted to, the seal on you that keeps me imprisoned in you would prevent me from doing such. If I remember, you were in a battle with a masked woman."** The fox did his best to conjure an image of what was happening. The thing that shocked Laxus was the image of Freed taking the hits for him, saving him, but getting injured in the process. Laxus saw that Freed was falling to the ground and feared that Cana had actually managed to kill Freed. **"I can sense that your friend is still alive, but he may not be for long if you just sit there and do nothing like a blundering idiot. I will give you a little bit of my power for now, but there is something I want to discuss with you later. Now go!"** With that last bark of the nine tails Laxus was forced out of his mindscape.

~~~~~~~~~~\\\\\\\\\\\\\line break/~~~~~~~

Finding himself in the real world, facing Cana and a dying Freed, Laxus instantly felt a surge of power course through his chakra system. The needles that were stuck in him were forced out and any wounds instantly began to heal. Cana looked on in shock as a red aura began to surround Laxus.

Laxus caught Freed as he was falling to the ground. Afraid that his teammate was dead, Laxus went into a rage, launching himself towards Cana's image in the mirror. With a strike of his fist, Laxus punched Cana in the mirror and sent him flying backwards. The mirror she was in shattered and the dome collapsed with it. Cana managed to barely regain herself, remaining on her feet, but no longer inside any mirror to protect her from the next assault. Unfortunately for her, this next assault, she would not be able to dodge. Her mask was cracked and her head was ringing, most likely suffering from some sort of concussion.

Laxus next attack came swift, a strong punch to the chest that send Cana skidding to the ground. As Laxus moved over to Cana, ready to deliver the finishing blow. As Laxus lashed out at Cana with his fist, the mask crumbled off, revealing the same 'boy' he had met in the forest only a few days ago. Laxus's attack immediately stopped there. He grabbed Cana by the collar of her robe. "Why!?" demanded Laxus. "Why did you kill him? Why are you doing Gato's dirty work? Why?!"

"Because...I am simply a tool...to be used by someone else...to accomplish their goal" said Cana, breathing deeply. Laxus was disgusted at the words that came out of Cana's mouth, yet he couldn't bring himself to blame Cana for turning out like that. Laxus could see some familiarity in Cana's eyes. He could see loneliness in those eyes. He determined there that Cana must have lived alone until someone came to him with an offer. Hell, Laxus had almost fallen to the tricks that had manipulated Cana when Mizuki asked him to steal the Forbidden Scroll.

"Don't talk about that crap anymore! You don't have to do anything you don't want to! You're a person, not a tool, don't give me that crap!" shouted Laxus, flaring a little bit more of the demonic chakra already in his system.

"Perhaps...but it seems like my usefulness is over..." said Cana as he pointed into the mist, towards the end of the bridge. Laxus looked over in the direction Cana was pointing. For some reason, he could sense that something was there, something with the intent to kill and smell a lot of people. Laxus delivered a punch to Cana, enough to knock her unconscious but not enough to kill her as Laxus stormed off towards the source of killing intent and scent.

Kakashi was facing Zabuza, who was now immobilized by Kakashi's dogs. Suddenly, he felt a burst of demonic chakra coming from the direction of Laxus. Both he and Zabuza felt it and Kakashi knew what it was. He was afraid that the nine tails had broken through the seal. However, Kakashi realized that the seal had not broken on only some of the chakra had managed to leak out. He knew he had to end it.

"I have copied 1000 Jutsu Zabuza, but now you will see my one original Jutsu" Kakashi said, making a few hand seals. Suddenly, amass of lightning appeared in Kakashi's hand. "Lightning style: lightning blade" Kakashi said as he dashed towards Zabuza, intending to kill him with his lightning blade.

As Kakashi thrust his hand towards Zabuza, it was intercepted by the most unexpected turn of events. Some man had come flying out of nowhere, crashing into Kakashi's charged hand, taking the lightning blade to his gut. Zabuza looked over at his stroke of just pure dumb luck and realized that man was one of Gato's.

"Kakashi, release me so I can dispel the mist and we can get a better look at what is going on" said Zabuza. Of course, Kakashi didn't buy it.

"And why should I?" Kakashi asked. "The minute I do that, you're either going to resume attacking me or try and kill Tazuna."

"That man is one of Gato's. Cana and I suspected Gato would try to double cross us and we were planning on killing him after we were done here. If one of his men is here, then that only means that there are more of him here. I just need my arms to get rid of the mist" explained Zabuza.

Kakashi thought. "Fine, but try anything and the next Lightning Blade will be going straight through your head" threatened Kakashi. He ordered the dogs restraining Zabuza's arms to let go and Zabuza did as he said he would, release the mist. Once the mist cleared, Kakashi could see what was going on. There was a group of roughly 50-60 thugs on the far end of the bridge and Laxus beating up one who was unfortunate enough to get too far ahead.

"Freed!" shouted Evergreen as she and Bickslow ran to where Freed was lying on the ground. There was a faint pulse and she began carefully removing the senbon from the Uchiha pincushion.

Zabuza looked over at the battered Cana on the ground and his cold exterior began to melt.

Now realizing that the rest of Gato's men could see him, Laxus retreated back to where the rest of the team was. He could feel the demonic chakra drain from him as he did so.

"So they are not dead yet, how disappointing" Gato called out, looking at the exhausted ninja standing in front of him.

"Why are you here?" Zabuza asked.

"It's simple. I actually planned to do this from the start. I'm here to kill you" Gato claimed. "It's what I do. I hire missing ninja to do my work. They are done; I kill them so that I don't have to pay them. Nice plan don't you think? The only problem is you. Pfft, Zabuza the Demon of the Hidden Mist. You can barely stand."

"Kakashi, this fight is over. I have no more reason to fight you or go after Tazuna" Zabuza said as Kakashi agreed.

Gato walked over to Cana, who was lying unconscious on the ground just in front of the rest of the ninja and began beating on the unconscious body. "Yeah, take this you little punk. This is what you get for breaking my arm!" shouted Gato. He then pulled out a blade from his side. "Phft. This is what happens to a worthless tool of mine."

Laxus tried to rush to save Cana, only to be held back by Zabuza himself. "What are you doing?!" shouted Laxus. "Can't you see that he's going to kill Cana? Don't you even care just a little bit? She's done everything for you and you've done nothing but look at her as a tool! She's more than just that, you kn..."

"Stop kid" said Zabuza, tears rolling down his face. "I know what I need to do. Can I borrow a kunai?" Laxus nodded and handed Zabuza one of his knives. Zabuza instantly disappeared and repapered behind Gato, driving the kunai into the back of Gato's skull.

"You sick disgusting man. Get away from her!" said Zabuza as Gato dropped to the ground, dead. He then picked up the battered Cana and retreated back to where Kakashi and Team 7 were.

"Hey! You killed our meal ticket!" the group of thugs said as they charged the ninja. "Kill them!"

Suddenly, arrows came flying out of some still lingering mist and killed most of the bandits.

"If you come any further, the citizens of this island will kill you!" Inari shouted with all the villagers standing behind him.

"Inari!" Laxus called out.

"A hero shows up at the last second, right?" Inari said, returning a smile to Laxus. To give the thugs one last push to flee, Laxus made about three dozen clones while Kakashi did the same, although Kakashi's weren't all shadow clones. The thugs fled the island; the villagers had won their village back.

"Freed!" Evergreen and Bickslow shouted out as Freed opened his eyes.

"Uhg. Evergreen, you're heavy" Freed responded weakly. Evergreen began to cry and soon gave Freed a big hug.

"Evergreen, that hurts" Freed said. He still had a few needles in him. "What about Laxus and that masked kid?" Evergreen pointed to them and Freed saw Zabuza supporting a weak Cana. "Why are they not fighting?"

"Gato broke his deal and they are no longer enemies" Evergreen said. Laxus turned around and realized that Freed was alright. Kakashi then turned to Zabuza.

"So what are you going to do now?" Kakashi asked Zabuza.

"Right now, I don't really know" Zabuza responded. Laxus then came up to them and began acting like the idiot everyone knew and loved.

"Hey Kakashi-sensei, can they come back to the village with us?" Laxus asked. He then turned to Zabuza. "You guys could stop running and start a new life again. Hell, you could even become ninja of our village."

"You really are an idiot kid" said Zabuza. However, there was something about that that appealed to Zabuza. He never imagined himself settling down again after leaving Mist, but Cana...perhaps the girl could use some rest. "To be honest, I would actually like that, but I am a missing-nin and an A-rank criminal. I would just go back to either imprisonment or death."

"Kakashi-sensei, can't you do anything about that? You're pretty high up" Laxus said. Kakashi figured he would regret this later.

"For your good work, I can send a message to the Hokage about this" Kakashi said, turning to a surprised Zabuza. "Based on the condition of everyone, we will be here at least another week. I will send word to the Hokage, telling him of your intentions. Do realize that if you are given a chance, you will have to undergo extensive analysis to ensure that you mean no harm to the village."

Zabuza thought to himself for a moment. "Welll, if there seems to be a chance; it would be a nice change."

Even Freed was happy with this. If they come to the village, then that will give him an opportunity for a rematch with Cana.

With that, everyone returned to the village to recover. Cana regained conscious, but was groggy and Freed was still sore from being a human pincushion. As Kakashi said, they would be there for at least another week and a week's worth of rest was much needed.

The following day, Laxus found a quiet place out in the forest to sit down; there was still something he had to do after yesterday. He began meditating, hoping to get into contact with the nine tails inside him.

~~~~~~\\\\\\\\\\\line break/~~~~~~~~~~~

 **"Well, it seems as if you still want to talk"** the Fox said.

"I figured I would at least hear you out. So what is it you want?" Laxus responded.

 **"I want to make an offer with you, Kit."** The fox said. **"And I suggest you listen before you go blowing your mouth off like you normally do."**

"What do you mean?" Laxus asked, trying to restrain himself from the Fox's obvious taunt.

 **"To understand where I'm going with this, you need to understand my past"** explained the nine tails. **"I am one of the 9 Tailed Beasts that came into existence over 1000 years ago. During that time, you humans have attempted to gain control of our powers and use us as tools. We, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with you and minded our own business. Slowly, you humans managed to seal us inside yourselves, inventing the idea of a jinchuriki..."**

"Uhh...What's a Tailed Beast? And what's a jinchuriki? "Asked Laxus. Sadly, the nine tails the kid was going to start asking questions like that. However, he couldn't help but drop his head.

 **"As I said, I am a Tailed Beast. There are 9 of us in existence. We are demons who are classified by the number of tails we have, starting from the one-tails and ending at myself, the nine-tails. Demons usually have some sort of defining feature that distinguishes their power among one another. For tailed beasts, it is the number of tails we have. Since I am the nine tails, I am the most powerful of the tailed beasts. You with me so far?"**

Laxus nodded indicating that he understood what a Tailed Beast was at least to an extent. **"Now, as for jinchuriki. Let's just say that is what you are."**

"What are you talking about? I'm a ninja and a person, not a jinchuriki, whatever that is" replied Laxus

 **"It doesn't matter if you are a puny human. A jinchuriki is a human who has a demon sealed inside them"** explained the nine tails.

"So that means you are sealed inside me?" realized Laxus.

 **"Hmm, you're starting to catch on Kit. Now don't interrupt me for a bit and listen to the next part of my story"** said the nine tails. **"Now, being the most powerful of the Tailed Beasts, I was able to remain free from being sealed the longest. Humans had attempted to capture me, like that pair of weaklings that I ate, but failed. It wasn't until THAT man came along and used his accursed Sharingan to trap me in some sort of genjutsu which he used to control my actions."**

"Sharingan? You mean like Kakashi-sensei and Freed?" asked Laxus, interrupting the Fox's story.

The Fox growled at Laxus for interrupting him.

 **"Yes, like the eyes your teacher and that other brat you're with have. However, this man's eyes were much colder and much more powerful. He used them to manipulate me into attacking your village almost 100 years ago. With my power, he fought against your Hokage and lost. As a result, I was finally sealed into a human. For the next 88 years, I was sealed inside a jinchuriki, trying my hardest to escape, but no luck."**

"Escape? But why?" asked Laxus.

 **"What can I say, I don't like being trapped in a cage"** responded the fox. **"It was almost twelve years ago that I finally escaped. However, HE was there, waiting. I thought he was dead, but that insolent cockroach came crawling back to me..."**

"Hold on..." said Laxus. His interruptions were irritating the Fox even more. "Who is 'HE'?"

The nine growled a bit, letting out some of his killing intent. **MADARA UCHIHA!**

"Madara Uchiha? I've heard that name before...but where?" asked Laxus. The Nine Tails explained to Laxus that he probably heard it during class as the battle between Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, and Madara Uchiha was one of the biggest pieces of Leaf history. Laxus nodded his head and told the Fox that was probably the one lecture that he had not slept through." But wait...Uchiha? Does that mean Freed is...?"

 **"Yes, that little Uchiha brat on your team is most likely a descendant of Madara Uchiha, however, Madara abandoned his clan in search of power...me. He was bitter at the fact that his rival, the First Hokage, had received the position of Hokage instead of him, so he left the village. A few years later, he returned to destroy the village using my power. After that, I thought he was dead and I was finally done with that insolent bastard. However, I was wrong. Like I told you, he was the one who freed me from my jinchuriki vessel 12 years ago. Before I could even take a free breath, he had me under his control. By the time his control ended and I had a free mind again, I was already being sealed into you by that other bastard the Fourth Hokage!"**

"Hey! Don't insult the Fourth like that!" said Laxus. However, there was something he wanted to know. "But, why me? Why did he seal you into me?"

 **"All I can tell you is that with the seal that he used, I needed to be sealed inside a newborn infant with undeveloped chakra coils, otherwise I would destroy my host upon sealing. I guess you just happened to be the only newborn around."** The nine tails laughed at Laxus's misfortune, but quickly resumed the remaining portion of his story **. "For the past 12 years, I have been trapped inside you. We haven't talked until now because you haven't been truly aware of my presence until just yesterday."**

"So if you hate humans so much for sealing you? Then why did you help me?" asked Laxus. He wanted to know why the Fox had helped him and even gave him the power to save Freed, despite an Uchiha being the source of his problems.

 **"Because, that is where I am trying to get at. I want to make a deal with you. Although I don't like the idea of working with you, my attempts at freedom these past 100 years have not been that successful."**

"Wait...did you say work with me?" asked Laxus, who was becoming increasingly excited by the thought of a demon fox at his command.

 **"Don't get the wrong idea Kit. I said I would work with you, not submit myself to you "** explained the fox. Laxus was now slightly depressed.

"So what does that mean?" he asked.

 **"Simple, I will help you and I will even give you the ability to use my chakra, unopposed in certain situations. However...I expect something in return."**

Laxus knew this was too good to be true." Okay...so what is it you want?" he asked.

 **"You should know from hearing my story...Actually, it's two things I want. I want my freedom from being sealed again after you die, and yes that day will come in time. I also want you to help me kill that cockroach of an Uchiha."**

"Wait, but if you want your freedom, then what's to stop you from destroying the village?" asked Laxus, now concerned with what the Fox was asking.

 **"This..."** The Fox rolled a contract out in front of Laxus revealing his agreement. **"This is a blood contract. Even to demons, this is binding. Basically, it states that I will lend you my chakra should you find yourself in a situation when it is required. With my help, you could become as strong as or even stronger than the Hokage. What I am trying to say is that I will help you along your journey to become Hokage. But, when you do, you will make sure that I am granted my freedom upon your death. I even promise to leave your village alone once I'm free so long as they don't try to imprison me. Furthermore, I will do whatever is within my power to ensure that you die of old age and not battle, although that will still be a possibility if you get too far in over your head."**

"Wait...what do you mean? How can you help me survive till I'm an old man?" Laxus asked.

 **"Idiot, when a human breaks a bone, it takes them weeks to recover; yet you can fully heal in a matter of hours."** Laxus just gasped at this. This only served to inflate his already big head. **"Anyways, you already have an increase healing factor just by the normal flow of my chakra from your seal. If the flow were to be increased, it is possible that you could heal wounds that would kill you** **but I can only deal with the damage you will need to deal with diseases and poisons yourself.** **"**

Now Laxus was wondering what the Fox meant by a 'normal chakra flow' from the seal.

 **"This seal on me allows for a small amount of my chakra to mix with yours, giving you that increased healing factor of yours and even that massive chakra reserve that you've developed."** Laxus had already been informed that he had a massive reserve of chakra after he proved that he was able to create thousands of shadow clones on the night of the Mizuki incident. **"However, this seal does pose a problem. Although it is weakening slowly, allowing me to safely flow some more chakra into your system, it was initially designed to keep the two of us separate. I can't just give you all of my power at the moment because that would break the seal, killing both of us. In fact, the most I can give you right now is just a little more than I gave you yesterday."**

"What?! But I thought you had a ton of chakra to give!" shouted Laxus.

 **"I do. The amount of chakra that I possess is so large, that it is considered infinite by your human standards, but this seal prevents me from releasing it all at once. If I try to force more chakra through the seal than it can take at the time, then I run the risk of breaking it, effectively killing the two of us. The more chakra that flows through the seal, the more stress it puts on your body. I have noticed that the seal weakens over time, which will allow you to use even more of my chakra in the future. I also believe that there is a key that can safely open this seal, allowing us to merge our chakra completely and you will have full access to my powers and I will have the power to kill that bastard."**

Laxus thought about what the Nine Tails had said, looking over the contract in front of him. The terms on the contract were exactly the same as what they had discussed. However, he saw a name on the contract that he didn't quite recognize." Whose this 'Kurama' listed on the contract?" asked Laxus.

 **"That would be me. Kurama is my true name. So what do you say Kit, do we have an agreement?"** Laxus took a few more moments to think about what they had discussed. Finally, he figured that everything was okay and signed his part of the contract as Kurama did the same.

 **Author Note**

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Sorry if it is still pretty similar to cannon, but I made the changes I wanted to do. So these are the two changes I wanted to make this early in the story: Cana and Zabuza survive and Naruto and the Nine Tails actually make a deal with one another. Also so far we are a go for Laxus having a bloodline trait if you want a certain one comment. So far it's a Storm Bloodline Trait.**

 **Please Review/Comment**


	6. Determination

**Disclaimer: I do not own naruto or fairy tail and the first person to comment will be dedicated**

 **Dedicated this week to guest and** **1999**

It was late in the afternoon in Leaf. Team 8 was finishing up their D-rank missions for the day. Being an Inuzuka, Elfman naturally hated cats. However, after today Elman was ready to wipe out every cat from the face of the planet. Once again, Tora had managed to escape and as such, the Capture Tora mission was reinstated. This time it was assigned to Team 8. The first time it was assigned to Team 7, the past three times went to Team 10, and it was about time Team 8 got to experience firsthand one of the most frustrating missions in all the five great nations. Elman had received most of the injuries, with multiple scratch marks all over his face and 'other places'. Unfortunately, Lucy had a mark on the left side of her face from trying to pry the cat off of Elfman before Kurenai could put it under a genjutsu.

Lucy arrived back at the Hyuga compound. Like always, her father greeted her with the usual emotionless question of asking how her missions went. However, after seeing the scratch mark on the side of her face, it became obvious exactly which mission she was assigned. Hiashi recalled the time when he was just starting out as a genin. There was always a mission that required a team to capture a renegade cat that belonged to the Fire Lord's wife. The cat's name was Tori, the mother of Tora. If there was any true 'demon spawn' in the village it was that damn cat. Like it was for Hiashi, this mission was considered a rite of passage for newly graduated genin as almost everyone in the village has had to catch Tora or one of her predecessors.

"Hello father" Lucy said, giving her father a quick bow.

"Welcome home Lucy. I would ask you how your missions went today, but I think I already know" Hiashi said to his daughter.

Lucy quickly explained the other mission that they had. Afterwards, Hiashi took Lucy and her sister, Wendy, into the family dojo for a quick sparring session. Like always, Wendy had bested Lucy, much to Hiashi's disappointment.

At the Hokage's tower, the Third had just received the mission report from Team 7's most recent C-rank mission. He opened it and began reading. He nearly had a heart attack from what he read:

 **Lord Hokage,**

 **I am reporting in on the mission 'Escort to the Land of Waves'. The mission was originally assigned a C-rank mission, but was quickly upgraded to a B-rank mission after two Mist chunin attacked our group. Their target was Tazuna. Despite the encounter, everyone was unharmed and we decided to continue with the mission. I regret to inform you that this was a mistake and we should have canceled the mission. It was then decided to upgrade the mission to an A-rank after we were attacked by the missing ninja Zabuza Momoichi and an accomplice disguised as a Mist hunter ninja. Laxus and Freed proved to be invaluable in that attack as Zabuza and his accomplice was forced to retreat. For the next week, my team was stationed on guard duty. The following day, Zabuza and his accomplice reappeared. Our team engaged them and fought until the fight was interrupted by Gato and his subordinates. Gato has been controlling the shipping and economy of the nation, effectively controlling it and its people through oppression and fear. As a result, they revealed their intentions to kill all of us, including Zabuza and his accomplice, Cana. However, with the help of Zabuza and Cana, Gato was quickly killed and his subordinates scattered. By the time you read this, the bridge that Tazuna was charged to build should be completed or within a day of completion. I have been informed that a representative of the Land of Waves will be traveling to Leaf and the Land of Fire capitol to arrange trade agreements as an attempt to repair the economy of the Land of Waves and thank us for our intervention.**

 **I also have a rather odd request coming from Zabuza and Cana. It appears as if the two of them have experienced a change of heart, thanks to their encounter with Laxus. The two of them are requesting an opportunity to join Leaf as ninja. While I normally would disregard such a request, I have reason to believe that they are sincere with their words. Cana also possesses a rare bloodline, the Ice Release, which may prove an invaluable addition for the village. Zabuza has informed me that he is willing to undergo any mental interrogation or trials that would be required for him to prove his intentions to join the village. **

**Kakashi Hatake, Jonin**

"Sir, are you alright?" the Hokage's assistant asked, seeing his facial expression after reading the report.

"Please summon the village counsel along with Ibiki, Anko, and Inoichi for an emergency meeting in 30 minutes" the Hokage said.

Laxus had just come out of his conversation with the Nine Tails before returning to Tazuna's house. He was happy that he would now have the ability to use the Nine Tail's chakra, unimpeded, even if it was only a fraction of the Nine Tail's power at this point in time. With it, he would be as strong as the Hokage in no time. Kurama had explained one last detail about using the Nine Tails chakra, and that was the presence of a chakra cloak if he tapped into enough of the chakra. However, it was explained that given the current state of Laxus's seal, the most he could safely use would be one-tail of the cloak for the time being. After using said demonic chakra, it would be common for Laxus to experience extreme exhaustion.

Laxus returned to the bridge-builder's house. Cana was set up in the guest room, trying to rest the injuries that Laxus had inflicted on her. Laxus had apologized to the girl, which was graciously returned.

The day of their fight, everyone, Cana especially, had pretty much spent the entire day resting. Cana and Freed were pretty much told to rest for the rest of the week while their injuries healed.

The day after the fight, Tazuna wanted to get started on the bridge again. As such, the remnants of Team 7 continued with guard duty. There were a few incidents with some of Gato's men trying to take revenge on the ninja or trying to reclaim the island that they had once controlled; however, they were quickly dispatched.

Zabuza had tried to apologize to Tazuna for trying to kill him, resulting in the Demon of the Hidden Mist working on the bridge as well, as Tazuna needed the labor to complete the bridge by the end of the week like he had intended. However, there were two things he had on his side now. One was that the workers were not scared of Gato and they wouldn't quit when it got too late in the day, allowing construction to continue for longer. Second, he fully underestimated Laxus. Kakashi had suggested that Laxus use his clones to help Tazuna out and the help of a hundred extra hands really worked, even if they did disappear whenever one clone missed a nail with a hammer and accidentally hammered his own finger.

The Third entered the council hall to see that the village council had assembled, although rather hastily. A few of the elder members were nagging the aging Hokage as to why this meeting was called so late at night.

"The reason I called you all is regarding a report I received from Team Kakashi, who was assigned on a C-rank mission to escort Tazuna, the bridge builder, to the Land of Waves" the Third announced. "After reading the mission report, it was upgraded to an A-rank mission." This sent stirs through the chamber.

"A-rank? Why was it upgraded to an A-rank mission?" Homaru, one of Hiruzen's councilors asked.

"The team encountered and battled the missing ninja Zabuza Momoichi." The Third's words once again sent stirs throughout the council.

"Zabuza Momoichi? Are they alright? Is Freed Uchiha Justine alright?" asked a member of the council who ranked right up there with Freed's fan girls. The Hokage nodded, reassuring the council member.

"So I assume you have sent a more qualified team to replace Team Kakashi?" asked Koharu, the Hokage's other advisor.

"No" once again, there was talk amongst the council. "This is the reason I have summoned you here. They have been involved in the death of Gato, business tycoon. However, it has been revealed that Gato was a crime lord who has been oppressing the people of the Land of Waves for the past few years. He hired Zabuza and an accomplice to assassinate Tazuna before his bridge was completed. Tazuna's bridge was the one thing that could weaken Gato's grasp on the island's economy." A few of the council who were more versed in economics agreed. "However, it appears that Zabuza turned on Gato with the intention of aiding Team Kakashi after he had a change of heart. I received a request that Hatake Kakashi has forwarded from Zabuza Momoichi that is asking us to accept Zabuza and his accomplice, Cana, as a member of this village."

"Why should we do that? Zabuza is listed as a missing ninja by the Hidden Mist Village. There could be political implications as to this" one of the councilors stated.

"I am well aware that, while we are considered neutral with Village hidden in the mist, the taking in of Zabuza Momoichi could result in some unwanted political implications" the Third pointed out. "However, it is not uncommon for villages to take the missing ninja of other villages. After all, that was the reason hunter ninja were commissioned, am I correct, Inuzuka-san?"

Tsume Inuzuka stood up. "That is correct. My clan contains some of the best hunter ninja in the village and it is the job of said hunter ninja to track down and capture or eliminate a missing ninja before they can sell any secrets to a village. However, should a village be fortunate enough to obtain a high-ranked missing ninja, the secrets they can obtain are substantial. It only further the reasons as to why we a village would take a missing ninja in."

"I agree with you on that, Inuzuka-san. Now the question is, what can Zabuza Momoichi provide for us? He has been missing from his village for at least 6 years now and some of his secrets would be considered outdated" said a bandaged man.

"Danzo, you of all people know that even old secrets can be considered useful" said the Third. "Besides, Kakashi included a few preliminary reports on Zabuza Momoichi and his accomplice, Cana Yuki Alberona. The report on Cana stated that the girl possessed a rare bloodline."

Hiruzen did it, he pulled the bloodline card. The councilors looked on at him with all interests set on this bloodline. Leaf loved bloodlines, as seen with how they treated the Hyuga and Uchiha, when the clan was still around. "Lord Hokage is there any mention as to which bloodline this child possesses?" asked another member of the council.

"Yes, Kakashi mentioned the girl using Ice Release Jutsu in during their encounter" said the Third. This stirred conversations in the room immediately. The Ice Release was believed lost when Village hidden in the mist initiated their bloodline purges, something Leaf saw as a travesty.

"Are you sure it is the true Ice Release?" asked the same councilor.

"I am fairly certain that it is the true Ice Release. Kakashi mentioned the boy's ability to form ice out of thin air, not just simply manipulating preexisting ice like the ninja in Snow County do. I do believe that this is truly the Hyoton" said the Third. A few of the councilors couldn't help but praise their luck. They were so close to obtaining another bloodline, something they felt Leaf had been lacking for the past decade or so. A little more discussion ensured until a final vote was called for on whether or not to extend a preliminary invitation to Zabuza Momoichi and Cana Yuki Alberona. The vote was strongly in favor of extending the invitation after a trial had been conducted to determine Zabuza's true intentions.

Four days had passed since Gato's defeat and the bridge was now complete, thanks to the help of a particular one-man, blonde army. That night, the village held a rather large celebration to celebrate the liberation of the Wave from Gato a future of economic prosperity. Every ninja there was seen as a hero who helped to overthrow Gato, even Zabuza. But the one who really got most of the credit was Laxus for inspiring the villagers to stand up against the tyranny of people like Gato. Freed had healed almost completely to the point where he would be ready to train again the next day. They would still remain in the Wave for another two days as Cana wasn't quite ready for long traveling yet. Even then, he wouldn't be able to travel at a high pace, but it would be faster than the pace Team 7 made to get Tazuna there.

While Team 7 was rather friendly that night, it still had Laxus and Freed fighting.

The remaining two days, Kakashi gave to his team to rest and take a small vacation, something Evergreen and Bickslow welcomed with open arms. Freed, on the other hand, used that day to get in some more training. He was ecstatic, even if it didn't show that he had unlocked the Sharingan, his clan's bloodline. While it was still in the early stages, it was the Sharingan none the less. Kakashi had also offered to give help Freed get adjusted to his newly found dojutusu. The training offer was extended to the rest of the Team 7 with Bickslow, Laxus, and Evergreen taking up the offer. Kakashi would balance his time between training Freed with the Sharingan and working on fixing Laxus's taijutsu. While Laxus had been considered passable back in the academy and his taijutsu had made a lot of progress in the last few months, it still needed some work to make it acceptable.

The next morning, the six of them headed off towards Leaf. It was about two day's travel with only ninja traveling this time. They arrived at the village gate early in the afternoon to find a few ANBU waiting for them.

"Zabuza Momoichi. You are to come with us for an investigation into your intentions on joining us" the bear masked ANBU said. Zabuza complied and he and Cana left with the ANBU.

"Kakashi-sensei, how long will it take before we know if they can join?" Laxus asked. Evergreen and Freed also wanted to know.

"Their trial is scheduled for 3:00 two days from now. It is then that we will know their fate in Leaf" Kakashi responded. "To be honest, I don't think Cana will have much of a problem seeing as she has never had 'official ninja training' and because of her bloodline, but Zabuza could be a different story."

After reporting into the Hokage, Team 7 was dismissed. Despite still being a rookie, Laxus had just survived and completed an A-rank mission, something that was reserved for high-chunin and jonin. He was ecstatic and decided to celebrate with Iruka at Ichiraku.

Much to Laxus's dismay, Team 7 was stuck doing D-rank missions the following two days. Kakashi figured that it would be better for them to get a few short missions before Zabuza's trial. Not to mention, they practically had an entire month's worth of training in a three week mission.

It was getting close to 3 and they proceeded to the academy auditorium, where Zabuza's trial was to be held. When they got there, they found the room to be rather packed. Apparently word that the Demon of the Hidden Mist wanting to join the village had spread. They managed to find a set of seats next to Team 8, with Laxus ending up to a poor Lucy who would be turning redder and redder throughout the entire thing. Next thing that happened, Maito Gai, the jonin in the village with a shiny black bowl haircut who was wearing green spandex, came in and started going on about their 'eternal rivalry'. Gai was being a little too energetic and Gai-like for the rest of Team 7, who were trying to inch their way away from the Mighty Green Beast. This in turn, pushed Laxus closer to Lucy until he was virtually on top of her. The close proximity of her crush caused the poor girl to faint in her chair. She wouldn't wake up for a while.

As the trial started, the Third Hokage entered, along with some of the more prominent members of the village council. He announced to everyone the reason why they were there, although everyone pretty much knew why. Soon after, Zabuza and Cana entered the auditorium, escorted by a few ANBU.

"Zabuza Momoichi, Cana Yuki Alberona, you are here today to justify your intent to join this village as ninja of Leaf. Is that correct?" the Third began reading from the paper he was holding. "Why don't we get straight to the point? Inoichi, Ibiki, what are the results of your interrogation sessions with Zabuza Momoichi?"

"Lord Hokage" Inoichi said, standing up. "I will be honest; I was not expecting much to warrant admission of this missing-nin into the village, especially given his record." Zabuza gave a slight 'tsk' under his own breath. Inoichi then proceeded to present his report on the mental findings of Zabuza's mental stability. "I do find that he is sincere in his request to join and serve the village of Leaf though. I have found the same to be true with Cana Yuki Alberona here as well."

"Very well Inoichi" the Hokage said. "Ibiki?"

"Lord Hokage. Like Inoichi, I had high doubts about these two. While I do feel that Zabuza here is not lying, his previous record of instating a coup in Village hidden in the mist must be taken into account" said Ibiki.

Zabuza sighed as the Hokage began to speak again. "Zabuza, do you have anything to say about your actions?" asked the Hokage.

"I do. I believe you have received reports on the state of the Mist under the rule of the Third Mizukage" said Zabuza. Hiruzen nodded. "One such measure he instigated was the blood limit purges. During that time, I encountered Cana, who I could not allow to suffer under the Mizukage's wrath. The village was not healthy under the Mizukage's oppression. However, even just a few glances of Leaf have told me that Village hidden in the leaves is nothing like Village hidden in the mist. It is a village that I would rather serve over Village hidden in the mist."

Very well. I have already discussed with the council about these two joining the village and it appears that they have passed Inoichi and Ibiki's examination" the Hokage stated.

Homaru stood up and addressed the two in question. "Zabuza Momoichi, Cana Yuki Alberona, it was decided the other day that should we determine that your intentions are good for Leaf, that you be granted a chance earn citizenship. However, one thing that has intrigued us is Cana's bloodline. Cana, if you don't mind, there are some of us here who would like a demonstration of your abilities."

Cana obliged and the chakra suppressing cuffs were removed. He made a quick hand sigh. "Ice Release: Demonic Ice Mirrors!" With that, a mirror in front of Cana formed out of ice and so did one on the other side of the room. The elders were impressed that the Yuki bloodline, the Ice Release, still existed. He performed a few more movements, jumping quickly from mirror to mirror, and showing off his accuracy with senbon.

"So the Ice Release still exists" Danzo thought to himself. Hiruzen shot him a look, indication to Danzo not to try anything funny with this girl. It was known to a few of the higher ups that Danzo was the leader of a secret ANBU organization known as ROOT. Over the past years, Hiruzen had managed to loosen Danzo's grip on village power, but he was still aware that Danzo would try to recruit some ninja with potential, Cana in particular, into his forces. Koharu then stood up to address Cana.

"Cana Yuki Alberta. You have demonstrated a rather advanced blood limit. Our records show that you are 13 years of age. By law of this village, if someone possesses a blood limit, they will be allowed to start a clan when they are of age" Koharu said. Kakashi knew this was going to happen with Cana and he had mentioned to Zabuza beforehand. Granting Cana clan status was a way for them to further cement the bloodline into the village.

The Hokage took the floor once again. "Zabuza Momoichi, Cana Yuki Alberona. You will be allowed to serve under this village so long as you comply with our laws and regulations. Zabuza, you will be assigned the rank of chunin. You will also be placed on probation for the next two months along with supervised mission duty for the following four months. Should I find no issues with you being allowed to serve Leaf, you will be eligible to participate in the jonin examinations at the end of the year to regain your previous rank of jonin. If you do anything that endangers the village, the ANBU have orders to execute you. Do you understand and accept these terms?"

"I accept them, Lord Hokage" Zabuza said, offering a respectable gesture and trying to get on the Hokage's good side already.

"Cana Yuki Alberona. Seeing as you have no 'official ninja training' I must give you the rank of genin and assign you to a team. I will find a team to place you on and you will begin once your placement is confirmed" said the Hokage. "Do you accept these terms?"

"I accept them, Lord Hokage" Cana said, following in Zabuza's stead.

Laxus was ecstatic upon hearing this. He ended up hugging the nearest person around him out of joy, which just so happened to be Lucy who was just waking up. Needless to say, she fainted, again.

"If there are no other objections, then I call this meeting closed. You are dismissed" the Hokage announced.

Following the trial, Asuma was called into the Hokage's office.

"Asuma, I want you to take Cana on your team" said the Hokage.

"But dad, I've already got three students. You can't expect me to take on a fourth. What will happen to the three-man squad?" argued Asuma.

"I am aware, but I am also aware of the paperwork that this little stunt will result in. If I'm going to have to deal with extra paperwork and possible fallout with Mist, then the least you can do to help me is make finding Cana a team easy. Besides, Kakashi has a four-man squad. Also if my suspicions are correct though, the council will try to have her promoted as soon as they can. They are like that when it comes to new bloodlines" said the Hokage. "Do I make myself clear that you will take Cana on your team?"

"Fine dad. I will incorporate her right away" said Asuma, not wanting to argue with his dad.

Asuma caught his team meeting up with Cana and Zabuza outside the trial. It was there that he announced that Cana would be joining Team 10 for the time being. He then stated that the rest of the week would be dedicated to integrating Cana into the team. He then invited the new team and Zabuza to Barbe-Q for dinner to get to know each other better. This also served as a little introduction to the team for Cana. They also managed to meet up with Team 7 and Kakashi, who was the reason that the Demon of the Hidden Mist would be joining them. It was also a little weird for him to be seeing one of the Seven Swordsman wearing a Leaf headband.  
At the Barbe-Q restaurant Laxus finally asked what was on his mind to Cana. "Why the hell did you tell me you were a boy in the forest!?"

 **Author Notes**

 **I know with Cana joining Team 10 and Bickslow in team 7, I am breaking the traditional 3-man team, but I felt that this was best as Cana would be best suited for Team 8 and Bickslow is part of the thunder god tribe. Also, it was a bit of a punishment from the Hokage for the paper work that would follow. Also I thought it would be funny to add that last bit there seeing how haku said he was a boy I thought it would be fun to add that. The voting for whether Laxus will have a blood line trait or not will end several chapters after the chunin exams. Also for those who are wonder this is a naruto hinata because Laxus is Naruto and Lucy is H** **inata, since I'm putting them together i thought it would be appropriate to say naruhina. If people disagree i will remove the naruhina part and replace it with another relationship.**

 **Please review/comment.**


	7. Training

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or fairy Tail and the first person to comment will be dedicated.**

Team 10 met up early the next morning at training ground 7. Mira, Shikamaru, Chouji, and there new teammate Cana were at the training ground with team 7.

"You're Late!" Everyone but cana shouted in unison.

"Sorry, but you see a black cat crossed my path and I felt that I should take the long way to avoid any...unfortunate happenings" Kakashi said. "And I was with him." Asuma one believed either of them. "Anyways, the main thing I want to do is get the four of you used to working together. Also, I want to see what Cana is capable of."

"But Kakashi sensei why are we here?" Asked Evergreen. With the rest of team 7 who had a confused look on their faces exept for Freed who was stoic.

"Well Ever since you guys all ready know Cana I thoughtit would be a good idea for you guys to train with her." Kakashi replied with an eye smile.

Cana agreed to show the team some of her techniques. They already knew about her Ice Release: Demonic Ice Mirrors, so she decided to move onto her other main ice technique, Ice Release: Ice Dome. That Jutsu turned out to be a defensive Jutsu that created a dome around Cana. Kakashi decided to test out the ice dome's strength. Much to his surprise it withstood a good beating, requiring some of Kakashi's more powerful techniques to break the defense. Even though the team already knew about Cana's accuracy, they were still impressed at just how accurate she was using senbon. Although Kakashi and Asuma tried to convince her to use a more powerful weapon, Cana stuck by using the senbon as she had the skill required to effectively use them. The only other techniques that Cana was able to use were the Water Release: Sharp Water Needles and another low level water type technique. Still, Kakashi was impressed that someone so young could already make use of two elements. At the same time, this worried him because he could see Laxus and Freed becoming more and more jealous of Cana's abilities. The two of them finally cracked.

"Kakashi-sensei! Teach us a cool Jutsu or something!" Laxus said. "We've already passed the water walking exercise and now it's time you teach us something useful." For once, both Freed and Evergreen actually agreed with him.

Kakashi closed his eyes and began thinking for a moment. "Alright. I suppose the Four of you have shown me that you are ready to begin some ninjutsu training. Let's call it an early day. I'll go to the Jutsu library and pick out a Jutsu for each of you that I feel best suits you. Now here's the deal, I'll give you the entire morning to work on them, but you will be doing whatever missions we get in the afternoon without complaining. Do we have a deal?"

"Yes!" Laxus shouted out. Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen quickly responded as well. "Oh man! This is great! Finally, a new Jutsu!"

Later that evening, the two teams met up for dinner as was suggested by Kakashi. "So Cana, tell us a little about yourself" Freed asked.

"Huh? What do you mean?" the new member said.

"Well, you didn't live in Leaf and it sounds like you were traveling a lot. I'm sure you must have some interesting stories" the Auburn-haired kunoichi explained.

"Well, I guess I could tell you about me" Cana said as the rest of the teams listened in. Cana began to tell her story.

"I was born in a small village in the northern part of the Land of Water. It got cold enough there that it would snow a lot, which I guess could be why I can use ice style. It was a peaceful village despite the fact that our nation was at war. My parents found me at their door step one day. My father was a normal man, no shinobi training. He preferred to live a simple life as a farmer. One day, he met my mother and they fell in love. My mother seemed like a normal woman, although she used to be a shinobi. She was able to keep her abilities hidden due to the fact that the people of my village hated ninja. They saw them as responsible for the recent civil war and wanted nothing to do with them. To be with my father, my mother gave up her life as a ninja and settled down. Everything was fine until I was five. One day, I showed my mother something that I thought was cool and amazing. It was my Hyoton abilities. I thought I saw a little bit of happiness in her eyes, but I was scolded for doing so. I guess she didn't want me using it fearing that it would cause problems within our family..."

Cana trailed off into silence. Freed and Laxus could tell something was wrong and told Cana that she didn't have to say anything else. However, Cana shortly resumed the story, saying that it would be best for both teams if they knew everything about her past.

"Despite her efforts to conceal my newfound abilities, my father had already witnessed what had happened. I don't know what drove him to so what he did next, but I think it was because he was afraid I would become a ninja or that the villagers were afraid of the powers I possessed."

Cana took a short pause before continuing on.

"He gathered a mob of villagers and...killed my mother. He then turned to me. I could see sadness in his eyes, but at the same time I could see fear. I could feel that he didn't want to do what he was doing, but the fear drove him. Looking over at my mother, lying dead next to me, I lost control of my power and encased the entire mob in ice, effectively killing them."

Laxus stared wide eyed at Cana. To his surprise, what Cana had experienced was similar to his childhood. He was certain that the villagers did not hate him, but they feared what was sealed inside him, the Nine Tails. "Cana, I'm sorry that happened to you. Believe me, I know how you feel" the blonde haired ninja said. "I cannot explain why, but for some reason the villagers wanted nothing to do with me. Even now, they harass me." The rest of Team 7 and team 10 had no idea what Laxus's childhood was truly like. I suppose the only one who could relate the best with Laxus was Freed, but even then it wasn't quite the same. Laxus told a few things about his own childhood, how the village hated him, how a mob was formed on his birthday each year, and how most of the village wished he was either gone or dead. He didn't reveal the reason for it, but he knew why they hated him. He had first realized the night when Mizuki had him steal the Forbidden Scroll. After that, the Third Hokage had told Laxus a few more details on the secret that Mizuki had spilled.

"I'm sorry you had it like that. What are you going to do? "Cana asked.

"I'm going to show them the real me. Even though they treat me like shit sometimes, I know that they are good people and I just need to show them that I will protect them" Laxus said. Cana was inspired by the boy's resolve. "It's my dream. I will become a great ninja and with that, the entire village will recognize me."

"I see. It seems like me, you have found some precious people that have already saved you from the hell that is loneliness" said Cana.

Yeah, I found a few people willing to recognize my, like the old man Hokage, Iruka-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, Evergreen, Bickslow, and even the Bastard over there. He doesn't admit it, but I see the way he looks at me when we train together. He acknowledges that I am there and we use each other to push ourselves further" Laxus explained. Kakashi and Evergreen thought what he was saying was sweet. Freed just shrugged it off, but the idiot was right and Bickslow was glad that Laxus thought of them as close.

"I am glad, because I also found someone who saw me as something more" Cana said.

"Was it Zabuza?"both Freed and Mira responded. The two looked at each other in suprise and then quickly looked away, but if you looked closely at Mira like Evergreen was you would have seen the blush. _"Ohh, I'll have to investigate this latter won't I?"_ Evergreen thought with a devil like smile on her face while the rest of her team who saw the smile just shivered and started to pray for whoever evoked that smile.

"Yes" and with that, everyone focuses Cana resumed her story.

"I was orphaned for about a few months. Even though it was cold outside due to the snow, my blood line protected me. Then one day, I met Zabuza. At first, he just looked at me with pity, but then I saw in his eyes, that he felt the same loneliness that I did. After that meeting, I joined him in his quest. After some time, he asked me to become his 'weapon', to serve as a shinobi with him. Before I met him, I lost my purpose in life. However, when he asked me to become a shinobi, it's as if he gave me a new purpose to live. I gladly accepted. Over the next couple of years, he trained me in the way of the shinobi and I eventually became his weapon. However, I will admit that I never liked the killing that came with it."

"That explains why you didn't kill Laxus and Freed back in the Land of Waves" Kakashi realized. He had a few other questions regarding that battle, but decided to hold them off for a better day. Freed wasn't happy by the fact that Cana had been holding back against them. He made a promise to himself to defeat Cana in their next rematch. Cana had a little more of his story to tell.

"We traveled together, picking up jobs like the one we had in the Land of Waves. During our journey, I remember meeting a man by the name Kimimaro. I remember him because I felt the same loneliness and sadness inside him that I once felt. I even offered for him to come along with us, but he refused claiming he had to find his own way. I haven't seen him since, but I would sure like to know how he's been. Shortly after, we were given a job by Gato and that leaves us where we currently are, in Leaf becoming a team."

"Wow. It seems like you've lived a rough and confusing life" Freed said. "It's too bad that you didn't grow up here or you would have been treated like royalty like freed" said Mira who was quiet until now.

"Yes, I guess you could say so, but everything is now and it doesn't sound like too much fun to be treated like that. Before these past few days, I even felt that Zabuza was looking for a purpose in life; however your village appears to have given him another chance to start over. He will never admit it, but I think he is truly grateful. Although he is already mad that there are ANBU following him everywhere" Kakashi just smiled while everyone eles started laughing at Cana's last comment.

The next morning, the new Team 7 awaited Kakashi at the training ground. He had promised them cool new Jutsu and they were going to get it. The only question now was how late would Kakashi be?

Surprisingly, he was only about 45 minutes late this morning, a new record for him.

"Alright, as promised I went to the library this morning while you were doing your mission and I picked out some Jutsu that I think you all should find useful" Kakashi said. He then handed a scroll to Laxus. "Seeing as you can already use the Shadow Clone Jutsu, I thought this would be perfect for you."

Laxus opened the scroll and saw a Jutsu. He read: 'Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu', A-rank. He was ecstatic at the Jutsu Kakashi picked out, seeing that it was an A-rank technique. But he was a little curious as to what it did. "Kakashi-sensei, what does this Jutsu do and why is it considered an A-rank?" Laxus asked.

"Good of you to ask Laxus. The reason it's A-rank is because of the requirement of knowing the Shadow Clone Jutsu, a B-rank technique typically taught to jonin ninja. What it does is it makes shadow clones of your shuriken" Kakashi explained. Laxus was a little deflated upon hearing this.

"That's it?!" he shouted. "I thought you were going to give me something useful. If I wanted shadow clones of my shuriken, I would just make shadow clones and have them throw their shuriken!"

Kakashi sighed. "It's not like that. Imagine the difference between one shuriken coming at you and dozens, even hundreds of shuriken coming at you." Laxus thought about what Kakashi said.

"Well, one shuriken isn't much and it can be easily blocked, but a lot of shuriken, well..." Laxus said.

"With a lot of shuriken, your first thought is to get out of the way as the more there are, the more difficult it is to block them. Now imagine if you could throw one shuriken at your enemy, but hit them with over 30" with that, Kakashi pulled out a few shuriken and threw it a training post. "Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he shouted. Just before the shuriken hit the post, they copied itself into about 100 shuriken. Now the post was filled with metal shuriken impaled in it. Laxus's jaw dropped and Kakashi just smiled. "If timed correctly, it is a very useful and deadly move."

Kakashi then handed a scroll to Freed. "Hmm, Fire Release: Dragon Fire Breath." Freed said, reading the description. "B-rank."

"Unlike your great fireball Jutsu, this attack utilizes a constant stream of flames. Also, the range is greater, about double of your Jutsu and the flame is hotter" Kakashi used the great fireball Jutsu on a tree. The fireball made contact and burst into flames. Afterwards, the mirror was still intact and was somewhat charred. "The problem with your Jutsu is that it's not powerful enough and it isn't sustained."

"Alright, so this Jutsu is more powerful?" Freed asked.

"Yes. It's at least 3-4x more powerful of a fire than your Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu, now watch" Kakashi said, forming the hand seals for the Fire Release: Dragon Fire Breath. He sent a stream of flames towards the tree. Unlike the fireball, this attack was sustained for many seconds and when Kakashi was finished, the tree was ash. Freed just stared at the ash and smiled. Now this is what he was had wanted.

Kakashi handed a scroll to Bickslow. "Now this technique is a water style Jutsu."

Bickslow read the scroll 'Water Style: Water-whip, C-rank' it read. Kakashi thought on the Jutsu and performed it after a few minutes. A whip of water extended towards the training post, wrapping it up.

"It's not that powerful of a Jutsu, but even I can see some potential for it to be greatly improved. Bickslow gratefully accepted the task. Kakashi turned to Evergreen.

"You were a little more difficult, but after analyzing your strengths, I think you would be better off learning a type of genjutsu" Kakashi said handing her a scroll. "And this technique reminded me a lot about you."

Evergreen opened the scroll and read 'Evergreen Leaf Blizzard'. She now knew what Kakashi was talking about.

"Kakashi-sensei, what exactly is the point of genjutsu?" Laxus asked.

"Well, if an opponent uses a genjutsu on you, he/she basically takes control of your chakra, disrupting their senses, unlike ninjutsu and taijutsu which focuses on dealing physical harm to your opponent. Now genjutsu can either be illusionary or offensive. This one happens to be illusionary, but an offensive genjutsu has the potential to do some major mental damage" Kakashi said. "Don't panic. I am now going to use this genjutsu on you."

Kakashi activated the genjutsu and suddenly the four genin were enveloped in a blizzard of Evergreen leaves. Soon, they all began to feel something tapping them on their back, but when they turned, there was nothing there but more leaves. Kakashi then came up behind Evergreen and put a blunt knife to her neck and canceled the genjutsu. "Don't worry Evergreen, the knife wasn't sharp" Kakashi said as Evergreen was rubbing her neck where the knife was. "If you noticed, I tapped you all multiple times but when you looked, you saw nothing, correct?" The four genin nodded. "Now imagine if every time I tapped you, I was actually stabbing you with a knife." They soon got what Kakashi was talking about. "The strength of a genjutsu depends on two things: the actual strength of the technique and the ability of the caster. A genjutsu master can make the weakest genjutsu stronger than the most powerful genjutsu if it were used by a novice. While I am proficient in genjutsu, if you need some expert advice, Evergreen, I suggest you ask Kurenai Yuhi, sensei of Team 8."

The four of them nodded at their sensei for the techniques that he gave them. "Kakashi-sensei, speaking of genjutsu, there is a way to counter genjutsu. Are you going to show us how?" Freed asked.

"I will, but why don't you work on these Jutsu and I'll teach you how to counter genjutsu next week" Kakashi said. Inside his head, he was laughing at his brilliance. _" This should keep Laxus and Freed quiet for a few weeks."_ Yes, he had purposefully given Laxus and Freed a high level Jutsu so that they would stop pestering him, and this way, so long as they played along like good little genin, everything would run smoothly for a few weeks at least.

With Laxus, he heard a voice begin to speak inside his head.

 **"Laxus"** Kurama said to him. **"Since we are on the topic of genjutsu, there is something I must tell you regarding the subject. I was able to be controlled by genjutsu, but now that you and I are working together, it should have little to no effect on us."**

 _"Why is that?"_ Laxus asked the demon in his head.

 **"Basically, to disrupt a genjutsu, it requires a disruption in your chakra flow. If you are in a genjutsu, I can provide a small burst of chakra, which should dispel it. It's one of the few things I can help you out with, given the current condition of this seal."**

 _"Alright, that sounds good"_ Laxus responded. With that, Laxus returned to reality. The rest of the afternoon was spent practicing their Jutsu. As expected, this Jutsu quickly turned into a rivalry match between Laxus and Freed and the two began diving head first into their new Jutsu. The agreed conditions were that Laxus would have to produce a dozen shuriken from one shuriken, the equivalent of what Kakashi had done in the demonstration (and that wasn't the best Kakashi could do), and Freed had to be able to melt one of Cana's ice mirrors.

"Are you all in position?" called a voice over the wireless headset.

"I'm in position" called a feminine voice.

"I'm ready" called a slightly bored voice.

"Why the fucking hell are we doing THIS mission again sensei!" shouted a very loud voice.

"Because, Laxus, these D-ranks build teamwork. Besides, don't you remember the deal we made and also watch your language?" reminded Kakashi.

"Fine. Let's just get this over with" said the now defeated Laxus.

"Alright, on three. 1...2...3...go" with that, the four genin of Team 7 dove onto their target, a certain cat wearing a red ribbon. Yes, unfortunately for every genin of the village, the Fire Daimyo's Wife was in town. "Do you have the target?"

"OWOWOWOWOW HHHEEEEELLLLLPPPPP!" screamed Laxus as the cat viciously clawed at his face. Evergreen peeled the cat off and began stroking in the cat's sweet spot behind the ears that she had discovered the first time they had this mission, which instantly calmed the cat down. At the same time, Inner Evergreen was contemplating how much this secret of calming Tora down could be sold for.

 **Author Notes**

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **For those of you wondering, yes, the main reason Kakashi gave Laxus and Freed those Jutsu was to preoccupy them for some time. Basically, it was used to get them to shut up and stop complaining about the D-ranks for a few weeks. However, Kakashi still had to select Jutsu that would make sense to Laxus and Freed.**

 **Please Review/Comment**


	8. A Rivalry

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or fairy tail and the first person to comment will be dedicated**

Three days passed since Kakashi had given his genin their new Jutsu. For Team 7, the daily schedule consisted of Laxus and Freed would usually arrive at the training ground sometime between 7-8, Bickslow would show up not too much longer after and Evergreen would show up by 9. Kakashi said he would show up around 8:30 to help them, which meant he would normally show up around 10-10:30. At 12:00, Team 7 would get a lunch break and then reconvene for a series of missions in the afternoon.

This morning, Kakashi was sitting underneath a tree reading a book. He had just given Laxus and Freed some advice on their Jutsu and the two had gone straight to work figuring it out. _"Silly genin"_ Kakashi said to himself. _"It'll take weeks, maybe even months for them to get those Jutsu down. But, that means a good amount of time without them complaining about missions."_

"Yeah! I've got it!" shouted Laxus as Kakashi nearly choked on his words. Kakashi looked over at Laxus's training stump and saw two shuriken lodged in the post.

"Damn it" swore Freed to himself. "I won't let you get ahead of me, Laxus." While Laxus had just gotten his shuriken to duplicate, Freed had yet to turn his fireball into a flamethrower. That is until he did the Jutsu again. Freed concentrated the chakra in his lungs, building up as much as he could. He made the necessary hand seals and took a deep breath, mixing the molten fire chakra with the air in his lungs. "Fire Release: Dragon Fire Breath Jutsu!"

Freed unleashed the fire in his lungs and a stream of flames were unleashed. This wasn't the previous fireball; this was a sustained stream of flames. Freed smirked at his progress, even if he didn't char the tree much.

Kakashi stared on in amazement. _"They've already got the basics down?"_ he thought. "It should be at least another two weeks until Laxus could even make a single shuriken clone or Freed could generate a constant stream of flames. Of course, Laxus only made one shuriken and Freed's fire wasn't strong enough, but still. Now all that's left is for them to figure out how to pump more power into the Jutsu."

Freed was panting hard, having used up a lot of chakra with that last attempt and Laxus wasn't looking too much better.

"Alright, I think you all have deserved a break" said Kakashi, standing up. "You're all coming much farther than I initially expected. Why don't you grab lunch and I'll see you for missions later this afternoon."

Later that afternoon, Team 7 received their mission. It was a simple D-rank again. While they wanted to complain, Laxus and Freed kept their mouth shut. There would be plenty of time for complaining when they got their Justus down. However, Laxus was steadily getting tired of the D-rank. After the mission in the waves he had been hoping for at least another C-rank, even if he felt he was ready for a B-rank or something more.

"Umm, Kakashi-sensei, I know we promised not to complain and everything, but I don't suppose we could do something different than a D-rank. I know we are ready for another one" asked Laxus after they had reported in.

"Yeah, come on sensei. Laxus's right. Right, Freed?" replied Evergreen. Even she was getting tired of the D-ranks again. Today they had to help out on a farm and Evergreen was probably dirtier than she had ever been, a feeling she was not enjoying all that well.

"The idiot's right. I know we promised not to say anything, but we've completed the equivalent of an A-rank mission. These D-ranks are just starting to get old again" responded Freed.

Kakashi sighed. So much for the Justus staving off their desire for something a little more. He looked over at Bickslow, who had just been smiling. Kakashi figured that Bickslow had just been putting a mask on and taking the D-ranks. "Perhaps. How about this, I'll reserve a C-rank for a few days from now."

"What why?" said Laxus

"Because you need to relax?" said Kakashi. In reality, the chunin exams that were coming up in a few weeks. The council had requested that Freed specifically be able to compete in these exams. In reality, they were most likely trying to kiss up to the last bearer of a rare bloodline.

"Fine, I suppose that will work" said Laxus.

"Good. Now the four of you are done for today, I'll go and reserve our mission for a few days. Just remember that you have tomorrow off. I'll be around sometime around noon to help you, if you wish to train a little, as there is something I need to do in the morning."

Today was their day off and Laxus and Freed were hard at work competing against one another to complete their Jutsu. Thankfully for them, they had the entire day to work. They both had the basic forms of the Jutsu down. They just had to increase the power now.

Although Evergreen enjoyed her days off, she had decided to use this day to train as well.

During the Wave mission she realized she had done nothing more than stand in front of Tazuna while Freed, Laxus, and Kakashi-sensei did all the fighting. Also, Laxus and Freed were constantly training, pushing each other while she would do nothing. Not to mention, she was smart and it wasn't long before she was beginning to realize perhaps if she were to be the one to get her Jutsu down.

Evergreen remembered that Kakashi told her to go and see Kurenai, Team 8's sensei, if she needed help on the genjutsu. Thankfully, today was one of Team 8's training days and they weren't out on missions.

"Hey guys!" Evergreen shouted to Freed, Bickslow, and Laxus.

"Evergreen?" Laxus and Bickslow asked, wondering what she was doing at the training ground on their day off.

"I thought this was your DAY OFF? It's okay Evergreen, you don't have to come out here if you don't want to" Freed said smugly.

"Well, if you must know. I was talking to Kurenai-sensei about the genjutsu, and I think I have it" Evergreen said. She actually managed to get a little smile out of him.

"Alright then, go ahead and let's see" Freed said, challenging what she was saying. Evergreen went through the necessary preparations for the genjutsu and cast it on her three teammates. Just like Kakashi, Evergreen leaves swirled around them, greatly obscuring their vision. Evergreen then proceeded to tap Freed repeatedly as Kakashi had done. After she canceled the Jutsu, she was congratulated by Laxus and Bickslow and a nod from Freed.

They proceeded to continue training. Although Evergreen truly wanted to go home, she knew that she would never get closer to team this way, so she stayed and trained with her team.

A few more days passed with Laxus and Freed making some progress on their Jutsu. Tomorrow would be the day that Kakashi said that they would be getting a C-rank mission and they knew that today would be the best day to get their Jutsu down.

It was getting late and Laxus and Freed were running low on chakra. They were either going to get their Jutsu now with this last attempt or they wouldn't have enough chakra for another attempt. Laxus and Freed took one look at each other, which basically said 'watch this, I'm going to complete my Jutsu with this last go.' Laxus pulled out a shuriken and Freed prepared the proper hand signs. Both of them focused, gathering their chakra for the upcoming Jutsu. At the same time Freed unleashed his fire, Laxus let his shuriken go. After everything happened, Freed inspected the ice mirror that was no longer there and Laxus went to count the number of shuriken in the stump. As Freed had completed his goal, Laxus counted 14 shuriken in the stump, meaning he had accomplished his goal as well. Up until now, Freed had always been beating Laxus, even if just barely, but now, they had tied. Laxus was gaining on him. Freed didn't like it and he had to push himself so that the 'idiot' wouldn't beat him.

Freed had to admit though, he probably would not have gotten his Jutsu, his first B-rank Jutsu, completed in the time that he did if it wasn't for Laxus pushing him. Even Kakashi had mentioned that he had expected that it should have taken them at least two weeks to get the first part of the Jutsu, which was the fire stream. For Laxus, the first part was getting the first shuriken clone. However, he had the Jutsu complete in just over a week, something Kakashi didn't even think was possible. He still didn't want to admit it, but perhaps he had found a worthwhile rival.

Kakashi appeared the next morning outside the mission hall holding the C-rank that he had promised his students. It was a delivery mission. A lord by the name of Morrimo Kazama had purchased a sword from a local weapon shop in Leaf. The sword was an older katana, crafted by the legendary sword smith Roronoa Zoro a few centuries ago. The age and maker of the sword made it an incredibly valuable piece of work and both the seller and client were certain that there would be a few bandits along the delivery route. While the sword was valuable to a lord, it wasn't special in a shinobi sense, making it very unlikely that the sword would be targeted by a shinobi. As such, a C-rank mission was requested to deliver the sword and a team of genin who had survived a face-to-face encounter with Zabuza Momoichi was expected to be more than enough protection for said mission.

"Kakashi-sensei, so what sort of cool mission are we doing today?" asked Laxus.

"It's a delivery mission, Laxus" responded Kakashi.

"What? A delivery mission? But you promised us a cool C-rank mission. All the delivery missions so far have been nothing but boring D-ranks" complained Laxus. Kakashi just chuckled.

"This one's a little different. We have been assigned to deliver a valuable sword to Morrimo Kazama, a lord in the northwestern part of the Land of Fire. While I don't expect any shinobi activity on this mission, the sword is valuable, and as such attractive to thieves and bandits. Now, go pack for about three days and meet me at the gates in an hour" said Kakashi.

Team 7 accepted the mission without any more complaints. A few thieves were much better than catching a cat or milking a cow.

A few hours after they left the village, any boredom Laxus may have accumulated was soon ridded from him as they encountered their first bandit attack. A group of bandits, roughly half a dozen, emerged from the forest and demanded that the traveling ninja hand over any valuables they were carrying.

When Kakashi denied their request, the bandits followed through on their threat and charged at the genin. Within about 20 seconds, all 6 of the bandits were incapacitated. Kakashi was glad to see that one of his students had put their new Jutsu to good use. Evergreen had used her genjutsu on the bandit she was facing to distract the man while she delivered a strong punch to the bandit's cheek, knocking him against a tree and unconscious. Laxus and Freed had both beaten their bandits pretty good, although they had not used the Jutsu Kakashi had given them, which was understandable as their Justus carried the potential to kill. Bickslow's bandit was slashed so much it looked like he was attacked by bears. Kakashi's two were handled with ease, even more so than he had done with the demon brothers.

The team continued on with their mission and the following day, they wandered upon the remainder of the bandits had shown up. This time, it was roughly two dozen bandits that had descended upon them. Freed and Laxus took one look at each other before the action started, this was most definitely a competition between the two of them now.

Laxus ducked underneath one attack, responding by nailing the bandit in the stomach with a strong punch. This gave him a little breathing room as he summoned a few shadow clones to aid him. The clones soon went to work overpowering most of the bandits that had decided to take on, as they saw it, the 'short and stupid looking one'. Boy were they mistaking when they were hit by the wave of yellow.

After he was finished with his bandits, Laxus looked over to see Freed sitting on top of a pile of battered, beaten, and burned bandits.

"Seven!" declared Laxus.

Freed growled, having only beaten 6. That was before he noticed a forgotten bandit sneaking up behind him. Freed swung his foot at high speed around, catching the bandit in the side of the head, knocking him into a tree. "There, seven."

Laxus and Freed smirked at each other, satisfied that the other wasn't giving up so easily.

A few days passed and Team 7 had returned to Leaf by that time. Today was designated as a training day for the team as Kakashi said that he had something to do. After lunch, Team 7 had met in an alleyway, waiting for Laxus, who had apparently forgotten something. Evergreen was stuck waiting for Laxus as Freed and Bickslow had left to go train.

When Laxus came back, he noticed something...out of place.

"Is that supposed to be a rock?" Laxus thought to himself. He took a few steps forward, only for the 'rock' to follow him. Even the Fox inside Laxus's head was confused at the 'rock'.

"What the hell is that?" said Kurama.

"Don't even ask" Laxus said to his inner demon, dropping his head. Coming back to reality, he turned to face the 'rock'. "What kind of rock is square with two holes?! I can see right through that!"

"Just what I would expect from my rival" the rock said as it exploded, revealing Romeo, Moegi, and Udon.

"Oh, it's just you Romeo. So what do you want now?" Laxus asked, trying to get away from the kids so he could train and not let Freed get so far ahead of him.

"Leader, are you free?" Moegi asked, trying to make herself cute and irresistible, which really doesn't work to well on Laxus.

"Nope, I'm training!" Laxus said. Meanwhile, Evergreen was standing slightly behind him, watching the whole endeavor.

"What?! But you promised that you would play ninja with us today!" Romeo shouted out.

"Um...why would a ninja want to play ninja?" Evergreen asked, staring at the three kids with a look of annoyance.

"Hey bro, who is this girl?" Romeo asked Laxus. ' _She's starting at him like she wants to eat him alive'_ he thought. Romeo got an idea in your head.

"Huh?" Laxus asked, wondering what the kid was thinking.

"Not bad bro. She's your..." he leaned closer to Laxus to whisper in his ear. "Girlfriend?"

"Eh no why would sh..." Laxus said, just as a fist made contact with his face, sending him flying back into a fence.

Romeo turned to Evergreen, who was now looked like she was ready to kill the three kids. "How dare you, you ugly bitch!" Romeo said, pushing his luck too far. Evergreen smacked him, leaving just as many lumps on his head as Laxus had gotten. Once the two regained consciousness, Romeo still didn't learn his lesson. "Damn it. That ugly...is that really a girl?" Laxus got a signal from the fox in his head to run as they turned around to see Evergreen charging full steam towards them.

"Ouch, that hurt!" Romeo said, running into something solid. When he looked up, he saw a ninja in black pants and a black shirt, with a bandaged bundle on his back, and paint on his face. Standing next to him was a girl in her mid-teens with blonde hair tied into four ponytails. On her back was what looked like a rather large collapsed fan. "That hurt you little brat!" the man with the painted face said.

 **Author Notes**

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **I know it was a bit on the shorter side, but I really just wanted to build upon Laxus and Freed's rivalry a little.**

 **Now, I know it sounds like it took Laxus so long to get the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu down when it only took him hours to get the Shadow Clone Jutsu down, but it has to do with chakra control. While he is somewhat proficient at controlling chakra in himself, channeling it into a weapon and still controlling it is a different story, not to mention applying the equivalent of the Shadow Clone Jutsu to a weapon that is not himself. Also Romeo if you were wondering is technically the thirds grandson with circumstances explained latter on in the story. Also all of the fairy tail members and Gajeel and Lucy will have been seen in the next chapter.**

 **Please review/comment.**


	9. Strangers in the Leaf

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or fairy tail and the first person to comment will be dedicated**

 **Dedicated to** Guest **and** Obito Uchiha

* * *

All around Leaf, the jonin were busy training with their teams. As they heard a bird call in the air, they looked up to see a bird summoning them to the Hokage. They all knew what it was for, but they were surprised that it was this soon that they were being summoned by the Hokage. Any jonin in charge of a genin team, assembled in front of the Hokage for his announcement.

"You've been assembled for only one reason" the Third said. "As most of you have probably realized, it should be obvious by the people here."

"It's already that time." Kakashi said.

"It's already been reported to the other villages. I have seen them enter the village" Genma, a ninja wearing a Leaf bandana with a senbon in his mouth said. "So when is it?"

"Well, I will announce it properly then" Hiruzen said, standing up. "Seven days from now, the chunin selection exams will begin. First we will hear from those supervising the new genin. Asuma, Kakashi, Kurenai, do you recommend any of your team for the chunin selection exams?"

Kakashi stepped forward. "The Kakashi led Team 7, Laxus Dreyar, Evergreen, Freed Uchiha Justine, and Bickslow...under the name of Kakashi Hatake, I nominate them for the chunin selection exams" Kakashi announced.

"What?!" Iruka called out. He didn't see his former students as ready for this exam.

"The Kurenai Team 8, Lucy Hyuga Heartfillia, Elfman Inuzuka Stratus, and Shino Aburame...I Kurenai Yuhi nominate all three of them for the exam" the genjutsu mistress said.

"The Asuma led Team 10, Shikamaru Nara, Mira Yamanaka Stratus, Cana Yuki Alberona, and Chouji Akimichi...I Asuma Sarutobi nominate all of them for this exam" Asuma announced.

"Hmm, how rare. All of them" the Hokage said to himself.

"Hold on!" Iruka shouted out. "Lord Hokage, please let me have a word. 10 of these 11 individuals were just recently my students. I know their skills are exceptional, but it is still too early for them to take the exam. They need more experience."

Kakashi stepped forward to defend the nominations. "Iruka, I was a chunin when I was six years younger than Laxus."

"Laxus is different than you" Iruka rebutted. "Are you trying to crush these kids?"

"Crushing them could be fun" Kakashi said. "They are always complaining about missions. I highly doubt that they will even make chunin this time around, but this will still be a good experience for them."

"What?!" Iruka said. "You think this is some game for your entertainment?"

Kakashi laughed a little. "That was just a joke, but stay out of this. They are no longer your students. They are my subordinates." Iruka was shut up.

* * *

The ninja with the face paint grabbed Romeo by the collar and lifted him up to face-height as Laxus, Evergreen, Moegi, and Udon arrived on scene. "Let go of me!" Romeo screamed out as Laxus tried to come to his rescue, only to be held back by Evergreen.

"Hey, you're almost as annoying as this little brat" the ninja said to Laxus. "I hate midgets. Especially younger ones that are rude. It makes me want to kill them." Laxus and Evergreen looked on in shock.

As the ninja wound up for a punch, Laxus ran to save Romeo. Before the punch could make contact, the ninja was hit in the face with a rock and a black and white snake found his hand. Laxus looked up to see Freed and Bickslow on opposite sides of the ally. The ninja dropped Romeo.

"What are you bastards doing in our village?" Freed called out.

 _'He's kinda Handsome'_ the blonde kunoichi said.

The other foreign ninja He then turned his attention to Freed. "Another brat who pisses me off."

Laxus was now getting angry because Freed had just shown him up. The foreign ninja called Freed out, pulling the wrapped bundle off of his back.

"Kankuro, stop it" a voice called out. The ninja stood down as everyone's attention turned to the voice. It was a boy with black hair, piercing for eye brows and a large gourd on his back. "You're an embarrassment to our village."

"Ga-Gajeel" Kankuro called out, trying to explain himself.

"Losing yourself like that, how pathetic. Why do you even think we came to this village?" Gajeel said. Kankuro tried to open his mouth, but was shut up instantly. "Shut up or I'll kill you."

Freed looked over at their 'leader' and tried to analyze the newcomer. Before he could, the Gajeel disappeared in a cloud of sand and reappeared next to Kankuro. "Sorry to you guys" Gajeel said, apologizing for Kankuro. "I guess we got here too early."

"Hey wait. You're from Village hidden in the sand. You may be allies, but it is forbidden for foreign ninja to enter other villages without permission. Why are you here?" Evergreen asked.

"Heh, talk about clueless" the blonde ninja said. "See my pass? We are here for the upcoming chunin exams."

"Chunin exams?" Laxus said as everyone's sweat dropped.

"Wow, you really are clueless" the blonde kunoichi said. "The chunin exam is where outstanding genin ninja from all over assemble to take an exam to become a chunin. The main purpose is to maintain power and balance, but countries just use them to show off to one another."

Freed jumped down from his perch. "Hey, what's your name?" he asked.

"Who me?" the blonde kunoichi asked.

"No, you with the gourd and piercings" Freed said.

"Gajeel Redfox. I am also interested in you" Gajeel said.

"Freed Uchiha Justine" Freed said. Laxus butted in only to be ignored.

 **"Laxus, something feels strange yet familiar about that kid with the gourd. I can't quite put my paw on it, but I feel like I've felt his energy before"** Kurama said to Laxus. Laxus didn't say anything but heeded the demon's advice.

"So what do you think" a figure in the trees said.

"Well, nothing serious, but that black-haired kid, the boy with the gourd, and that boy with blue hair. Let's keep an eye on them" another figure said.

* * *

"Hey did you hear?" Lee said,"For the first time in ten years, there are going to be rookies in these chunin exams."

"No way its probably just some jonin trying to boost their ego." Levy said tossing another knife into a target.

"No their is more to it" Lee said "Rumor is that four of them are students of Kakashi."

"That sounds interesting" Neji said, sitting directly underneath Levy's target."I almost feel sorry for them"

"You're late!" Laxus and Evergreen yelled at Kakashi, who just appeared on the bridge that he had asked his team to meet on.

"Sorry, but I got caught up registering you guys for the chunin exams" Kakashi responded, sending his usual smile to them.

"What kinds of lame excuse...oh wait, that actually sounds reasonable" Evergreen said.

"Here are our applications. If you are going to take the exams, then come to room 301 at the academy six days from now" Kakashi explained. Laxus jumped on top of Kakashi, hugging him for nominating them for the exams. "Again, this is just a nomination. Whether or not you want to take them is up to you. Those forms need to be turned in by 4pm tomorrow to the Hokage's tower if you are going to take them. I'll give you the rest of today and tomorrow to decide. Based on your response we'll go from there."

With that, Kakashi left the four genin to their thoughts. _"Hmm, chunin exams. There are going to be a lot of strong people in that. Like Gajeel and those guys from yesterday"_ Freed said. _"I might be able to fight them."_

 _"If I win, then I'll be one step closer to being a great ninja"_ Laxus thought to himself.

 **"Things could get interesting, Laxus"** Kurama said to his host.

 _"Yeah, I know. It's about time something exciting happens around here"_ Laxus responded to the Fox.

 **"Not exactly what I meant, but yes, thing will get interesting."**

 _"Ok, so what did you mean?"_ Laxus asked the demon.

 **"That Sand boy isn't the only one with chakra that I've felt before. I can't tell you who, but I've felt at least one other familiar chakra source enter this village recently."**

 _"So what does that mean?"_ Laxus asked. _"Are there more of your kind here?"_

 **"Maybe. I can't say for sure, but let's just say it's possible."**

 _"Then what do you think about entering? I want to, as it will put me closer to being a great ninja"_ Laxus said, giving the Fox a big smile.

 **"Like I said, it will be interesting. I say do it as there are a few of the Tailed Beasts I wouldn't mind seeing again. But then again, there are others I would rather not."**

"So what do you think Laxus, Bickslow, and Evergreen?" Freed asked his team.

"I'm definitely in!" Laxus exclaimed, giving Freed a slight grin.

"I'll come. If you guys need me, I'm more than happy to help them" Bickslow said.

 _"I don't want to...I can't even keep up with Laxus"_ Evergreen thought to herself, still depressed that her abilities are probably below Laxus. _"But if I back out, what will the team think of me?"_

"Evergreen?" Freed asked, trying to snap his teammate out of it.

"Huh? Oh, yeah I'll come" Evergreen said, a tone of doubt still in her voice.

* * *

Team 7 had just turned in their exam forms for the chunin exams and it was now about three days before the exams would actually start. Already, Laxus had seen ninja from many different villages besides The Sand. Currently in the village were also ninja from The Cloud, The grass, The Waterfall, and even some new village known as the village hidden in the sound.

Laxus had just left Ichiraku's after his typical early afternoon ramen run when he spotted a few cloud shinobi walking away from him. He immediately felt the Nine Tails flare up inside him.

 _"What's wrong?"_ he asked.

 **"I think there is a jinchuriki amongst those Cloud shinobi as well. I can't quite tell which one or which Tailed beast it is, but I'm certain that one of them is a jinchuriki"** said the Nine Tails.

 _"So that makes what? 2 others?"_ asked Laxus.

 **"Yeah. Like I said, this could get interesting** " said the Fox.

 _"Hey, so who are these other Tailed beast? I know there's you, but you said there are nine others, right?"_ asked Laxus.

 **"There are eight others, nine if you include me. Each of us is distinguished by the number of tails we have. I'll start from the beginning. The One Tails, Shukaku, is probably my least favorite of the entire Tailed beast. He's fucking insane and does nothing but kill kill kill. He's also the weakest of all of us, as he only has one tail. The Two tails, Matatabi, is also known as the Hell Cat. She's actually one of the few Tailed beasts that I actually don't mind and she actually is pretty respectful. The Three tails, Isobu, looks just like a giant turtle. I don't really care much for him, but I can tolerate him if he didn't get so attached to his jinchuriki.**

 _"Wait what's wrong with that?"_ Laxus interrupting Kurama.

 **"We live much longer than you humans so it doesn't make much sense if we grow attached to our jinchuriki or humans in general."**

 _"well that's strange you would be lonely all the time so what if they die they will always live on in memory making them immortal with you and make you glad latter on right?_ " Laxus asked.

 **" ...I suppose you are right, anyway continuing on**

 **The Four tails, Son Goku, is known as the Great Sage Monkey. I don't really like him that much because he keeps thinking he's smarter and better than me, phft. The Five Tails, Kokuo, is well...we don't really know"** said Kurama.

 _"What do you mean, don't really know?"_ asked Laxus.

 **"Exactly what I said. All of us resemble some sort of animal, but the five tails is a mixture of a horse and a dolphin, I think. Anyway, the six tails, Saiken, looks like a giant slug. She's the calmest of us and greatly dislikes killing unless provoked. The Seven tails, Chomei, resembles a large beetle and keeps referring to herself as the Lucky Seven Chomei. For me, she's tolerable. Then we have The Eight tails, Gyuki. He looks like a cross between a giant ox and octopus. He can be rather stubborn and bashful and the two of us have never seen eye to eye. Lastly you have me, the Nine Tails, and the strongest of the entire Tailed beast."**

 _"Wow, that's amazing!"_ replied Laxus.

* * *

Later that night, Laxus was walking through the village, on his way home when a figure attacked him out of nowhere. Laxus jumped to the side, just in time to avoid being pelted by a few kunai. The man that attacked him wore a headband indicating that he was part of Village hidden in the rain.

"What the hell do you want?!" shouted Laxus.

"Heh, aren't you funny" laughed the Rain ninja. "The chunin exams have no room for a little brat like you. You're better off giving up now."

"And why would I take advice from the likes of you? You're talking to one of the Leaf's future best ninja!" declared Laxus as he pulled out a kunai and threw it at the attaching ninja. The Rain ninja took his own umbrella from his back and threw it at Laxus, when the kunai and umbrella met; the umbrella turned into dozens of kunai and impaled Laxus.

"Heh, see you little punk? There's no room in the chunin exams for you...huh?" The Laxus that he had attacked disappeared, revealing itself to be nothing more than a shadow clone. While the Rain ninja was busy looking around to see where Laxus was, he didn't notice the blonde tackle him from above.

"Heh, you are you calling a little punk? You're the one who can't handle the exams" replied Laxus. The Rain ninja disappeared, replacing himself with a rock.

"Huh? What? Where?" said Laxus, looking franticly for the attacker, who was nowhere to be found.

Evergreen was walking along with Bickslow talking about improving their skills when Bickslow when called out some random Rain ninja. The two of them then attacked the ninja and defeated him with slight trouble.

Freed was also having trouble with the same random ninja. Well, it wasn't so much of trouble as he had easily defeated his attacker, more like a nuisance.

"So how was it?" Kakashi asked said troublesome Rain ninja. However, the Rain ninja dispelled his transformation to reveal Iruka

"We went through the trouble of having a special preliminary exam for the rookies, and they all passed with ease" said Iruka. "As you said, their skills have shown drastic improvement."

"Well, the actual chunin exams won't just end at this, but lets hope they can tought it out..." said Kakashi.

"Alright" Iruka replies "but if something bad happens to Laxus"

"Nothing bad will happen to him." Kakashi cuts in."You believe in him right?"

"Yes of course I do" Iruka replied,

"Then he will be fine." Kakashi stated as if the simplest thing in the world.

 **Author Notes**

 **Sorry for another short chapter. Just so you guys know latter on near the end of the third book (I'm making multiple books instead of just grouping them together into one) they go back to Earthland, hope you enjoyed this chapter. The poll will end at the end of the Chunin Exams ark and so far we are a go for Laxus having a Bloodline trait.**

 **Please Review/comment and any flames will go to the endless pit that is nastu's stomach**


	10. Round one written test

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or fairy tail and the first one to comment will be dedicated**

* * *

Finally, the day came for the chunin exams.

"Hey, Lucy!" Laxus shouted, coming to the gate of the academy. The poor girl began to turn red, like normal when Laxus expectantly appeared. "Are you here for the exams too?"

"Y-yes, I-I am" Lucy managed to get out.

"Laxus!" Evergreen called out for him, across the academy courtyard.

"Oh, sorry Lucy, but it looks like my team is here" Laxus said.

"I-it's okay, I-I think I s-see my t-team coming as well" the shy girl said, trying to hide herself from her crush.

"Good luck. I know you will do great" Laxus said as he ran off to join the rest of his team.

 _"He thinks I will do great?"_ Lucy thought to herself. _"If Laxus thinks I can do it, then I will surely try my best"._

* * *

Team 7 arrived to a mass of people standing in front of a door with the room number 301 above it. Two ninja were guarding the door, preventing anyone from getting through. They then looked at Lee, the kid in the green spandex suit, trying to force his way through, only to get shoved back by the guards. After his teammates picked him up, Lee turned and looked at the four rookies that were staring at him.

"Why don't you just release the genjutsu and let us all pass" Freed said to the guards at the door. The two were actually impressed that a genin, not to mention a rookie, would figure out their little trick. As Team 7 proceeded to the proper floor, Lee quickly followed.

They turned to Lee and asked him why he was there.

"You are Freed Uchiha Justine, am I correct?" Lee said to Freed.

"I am what of it?" Freed responded.

"I wish to challenge you. I wish to test my skills against the offspring of the powerful Uchiha" Lee said. He then winked at Evergreen. "You are an angel; I wish to take you out on a date."

"Ewe, never!" Evergreen said as she bent backwards to avoid Lee's kiss that he had blown towards her, hitting her head against the ground in the process.

"Frankly, you're a fool, thinking you can challenge me" Freed replied to Lee's challenge. "You're about to learn what this name means, thick brows."

 _"Finally, I will get to test my skills against the #1 rookie and Gai-sensei will be proud of me"_ Lee thought to himself.

"Hmph, this might actually be fun" Freed said, realizing that Lee was actually strong. With that, Freed attacked Lee. Lee quickly dodged and kicked back at Freed. He could not evade the attack and had to resort to blocking the attack. As Lee made a quick hand sign, Freed braced himself for some sort of ninjutsu, only to be hit in the stomach by a second kick. _'What sort of ninjutsu or genjutsu was that?'_ Freed thought.

"That's..." Lee said, looking into Freed's eyes. "The Sharingan."

Freed charged at Lee, thinking that he would use his eyes to reveal what type of ninjutsu or genjutsu Lee was using.

"What?! The Sharingan couldn't read that?" Freed said in a bit of pain.

"Yes, my techniques are neither ninjutsu nor genjutsu" Lee stated. "Dancing Leaf Shadow!" Lee appeared behind Freed, who was still mid-air. "Yes Freed, my techniques are simply taijutsu. They say the Sharingan can read all sorts of ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu. It is true that you get the advantage in a ninjutsu and genjutsu battle by reading and copying your opponent's hand seals, but a taijutsu battle is different."

"What do you mean?" Freed asked.

"Even if you can read my movements, if your body can't move, then it's useless." Lee stated, unwrapping the bandages on his arm. "Do you know that amongst strong ninjas, there are two types; the genius and the hard working types. You are the genius and I am the hardworking type, having mastered only taijutsu. And with this technique, I'll prove that hard work surpasses genius."

Out of the corner of his eyes, Lee saw a kunai fly past him with a green cloth attached to it. He stopped his technique, knowing that the fight was now over.

"That's enough Lee" a turtle said, appearing in the room. As Freed was falling to the ground, Evergreen and Bickslow caught him, saving him from a dangerous position that Freed had not even bothered recovering from. Looking at him, she saw that Freed was shaken with the battle. The turtle spoke again as everyone watched. "Lee, that technique is forbidden."

"What?! That turtle can talk?" Laxus shouted out as Evergreen knocked him over the head. While the turtle was scolding Lee, a man that appeared to be an older replica of Lee appeared on top of the turtle. Team 7 almost passed out, disgusted at the resemblance. They had seen this man once before at Cana and Zabuza's hearing, but they never noticed the creepy resemblance until now.

"Gai-sensei!" Lee called out. Gai punched Lee in the face, probably as punishment for disobeying him. The two 'clones' then proceeded to do something that would leave Team 7 traumatized for a few months.

"LEE!" Gai called out.

"GAI-sensei!" Lee responded.

With that, the two hugged, creating an ocean sunset in the background. Being a thousand year old demon, Kurama had seen some pretty disturbing things, but this ranked right up there.

"I am sorry sensei. For that, I will do 1000 laps around the village after the exam" Lee said.

"Is that even possible?" Evergreen whispered to her team. Gai turned to the four of them.

"Hey guys, how is Kakashi doing?" Gai asked, winking and giving them a creepy smile.

"How do you know Kakashi-sensei?" Laxus asked.

"People refer to us as, eternal rivals" Gai said.

Laxus made a mention to Freed that Lee must have trained extremely hard, every day after catching a glimpse of his hand and seeing the scars. This only made Freed smile. "Sounds like this is going to be a fun chunin exam."

* * *

Laxus, Evergreen, Freed, and Bickslow stepped into room 301, only to find about 200 ninja from various villages, including their own. Out of the ninja in the room, a particular white-haired kunoichi that Evergreen knew all too well, "you're late" Mira said with a smug look on her face.

Mira-pig!" Evergreen shouted as Laxus and Bickslow tried to get out of the way of the incoming cat fight. Looking around, Laxus quickly noticed Teams 8 and 10. The entire rookie 9 was here. Then the 9 noticed a grey-haired ninja who introduced himself as Kabuto. "Hey you guys, quiet down. The last thing you want is to cause a scene" Kabuto told the rookies. "Although, I can't blame you. I remember how I was when I was a rookie."

"So you've taken this test before?" Evergreen asked the newcomer.

"Actually, this is my seventh time, since the exam is held twice a year" Kabuto bragged.

"That's not manly" Elfman said to Laxus who then tried really hard not to laugh.

"... you must know a lot about these exams" Evergreen said.

"Yep. I'll even share some of my info with you, using the nin-cards" Kabuto said, whipping out a deck of cards. "Is there anyone you want information on?"

"How about, Gajeel Redfox and Rock Lee of the Hidden Leaf" Freed said, getting in on the action.

"Aw it's no fun if you already know their names." Kabuto said with a frown

"Hmm, let's see. Rock Lee. He's a year older than you and has completed 20 D-ranks and 12 C-ranks. His specialty is in taijutsu with his ninjutsu and genjutsu being weak, if not non-existent. This is his first time taking the exams. On his team are Neji Hyuga and Levy" Kabuto read off. "Now Gajeel. 8 C-ranks and wow, a B-rank mission. Since he's a new comer, I don't have much information on him, but it looks like he has returned from all his missions without even a single scratch." Kabuto then explained that the top genins from the Leaf, Sand, Sound, Grass, Waterfall, and Cloud were here. This wasn't going to be an easy exam. Evergreen could see that even Laxus was getting nervous. However, nerves work differently with Laxus.

"My name is Laxus Dreyar, and I won't lose to any of you bastards!" the blonde haired genin shouted out, effectively challenging anyone who heard him. Kakashi, who was standing outside the room, heard his student and just smiled, figuring it was about time Laxus did something stupid.

Suddenly, a trio of sound ninja jumped out of the crowd and attacked Kabuto. He easily dodges the fist, but was soon hit by another force. As the fight started to escalate, there was a large puff of smoke in the front of the room. "Quiet down you worthless bastards!" the new ninja said as the smoke dissipated. Behind him stood a few dozen chunin. The man wore a long black trench coat with a Leaf bandanna. He had a few scars on his face. Most of the Leaf ninja knew him as Ibiki, torture and interrogation specialist. "I am Ibiki Morino, the proctor for the first exam. Take your seats now before I decide to start failing people."

Nobody doubted him and suddenly, order was brought back to the room. Ibiki started handing out the tests as Laxus realized that this was a paper test. He was doomed to begin with.

"L-Laxus, let's do our best, ok?" Lucy said who was assigned a seat next to Laxus.

"Now, I will explain the rules. Questions will not be allowed. Ibiki said as he began to write on the board. "The first rule is that you will start off with 10 points. The test is made up of 10 questions and each question is worth a point. For every question you get wrong, you lose a point. The second rule is that this is a team test. Your entire team will pass or fail based on a combined score of your team." Everyone on Team 7 knew what this meant. They would be pulling Laxus's dead weight. "Now, the third rule is that every time you are caught cheating, you will lose two points. If you are caught 5 times, your entire team fails. The last rule is that those who lose all their points and those who don't answer any questions correctly, will automatically fail their entire team."

"Damn it all!" yelled Laxus

Laxus suddenly felt a wave of killing intent directed towards him as the Fox began cracking up.

 _"Hey, quiet down in there"_ Laxus said to the demon. _"Unless you are trying to help"._

 **"Nope, you're on your own for this one, kit"** Kurama responded, trying to contain his laughter at Laxus's misfortune.

"Alright, begin!" Ibiki announce. The entire room started on the exam, soon realizing it to contain some extremely difficult questions. Evergreen, Freed, and Bickslow already turned to look towards Laxus, who was already freaking out. Evergreen took a look at the question and realized that she could answer them, although most people in the room probably didn't have the experience or intelligence to do so.

Laxus was really freaking out, realizing that the last question would be given 15 minutes prior to the end of the exam and that he couldn't answer any of these questions. Lucy, who had been assigned the seat next to Laxus, couldn't help but worry about him.

On the other side of the room, Freed, Evergreen, and Bickslow were beginning to understand the true meaning for the test. Due to the difficulty of the test and the presence of the coordinators, it was almost as if they were encouraging cheating. _"I see, this is a test to see how well we can gather information by using our skills without getting caught"_ Freed thought to himself. Suddenly, Freed saw a mouse underneath him that creep onto his desk and then transformed into ink that wrote out _"Don't worry about Laxus, I will help him out-Bickslow"._ Freed grinned at what Bickslow was telling him.

All around the room, the people who were realizing the objective of this test began to make their move. Cana made ice mirrors that reflected the answers. Shino had released his insects to gather information while Akamaru was being a look out on Elfman's head and giving him the correct answers. Neji had activated his Byakugan, giving him the ability to see through anyone and look at any test in the room. Lucy was doing the same as her cousin. Freed had activated his Sharingan and began copying the movements of someone who looked like they knew what they were doing. Evergreen, on the other hand, had the intelligence to solve the questions on her own.

As Lucy saw Laxus was panicking, she decided offering him her test so that he may have a chance to pass. However, a kunai passed by their heads, just missing them. "Number 64, you are out. Your team, numbers 21 and 82 are also disqualified" Ibiki said, startling most of the other takers. After that, more and more genin began to fall victim to the test. After seeing that display, Laxus denied Lucy's help even after she mentioned to him that she didn't want him to fail. However, Laxus was not willing to let Lucy get in trouble for him.

As Laxus began to start freaking out and raan his hand through his hair, he soon felt something coil around his leg and saw a snake that creped out onto his desk and wrote out _"This test is meant to test your information gathering skills. You are encouraged to cheat. However, you don't have any skills that will be of use for this test, but I do. The answers have already been transferred. I have also been keeping an eye on the proctors to see who has marks and who doesn't. I have not gotten any and neither have you, so we should be fine doing this. -Bickslow"_ Laxus breathed a sigh of relief. Freed took a look at Laxus and saw his teammate. Thanks to Bickslow, they were going to be just fine.

"Alright, time's up" Ibiki announced. "Now for the tenth question." By the time Ibiki stopped the clock, only about 120 of 200 chunin candidate remained.

Everyone who remained looked at Ibiki in anticipation. "Now, for the tenth question, there are a few special rules. First, you must decide whether or not you will take it."

"What do you mean choose?" Temari asked. "What happens if we chose not to?"

"If you chose not to take it, your points will be reduced to zero and your team will fail" Ibiki explained.

"What does that mean? Of course we will take it then!" another test taker stated.

"If you choose to take the tenth question and answer incorrectly, then you will be banned from ever taking the chunin selection exams ever again" Ibiki said, silencing everyone in the room.

"What is up with that stupid rule, there are people in here who have taken this exam before!" Elfman said as Akamaru barked along with him.

"Hehe. You guys were unlucky that I'm the proctor this year. My test, my rules" Ibiki said.

 **"Hehe, I actually kind of like this guy. Any chance he has room for me inside his head?"** Kurama said jokingly.

 _"What the fucking hell is that supposed to mean, you stupid fox?!_ ** _"_** Laxus thought to the Fox, only making him laugh harder.

"However, I will give you a way out. You can choose not to take it and try again next year if you are not confident." Ibiki sent an evil glare to the chunin candidates. "Now, those of you who do not wish to take it, put your hand up and wait for your number to be called. Then you and your team may leave."

All around the room, people were thinking on what to do. "What do I do? If I fail, I'll be stuck an eternal genin, but if I don't take it, I'm sure Evergreen and Freed would never forgive me" Laxus thought to himself.

"I won't take it" a leaf ninja said, standing up. He and his team were immediately escorted out of the room. Over the next five minutes, a total of 30 more opted out, leaving 91 genin remaining.

Laxus raised his hand, much to the rookie 9's shock. Then he proceeded to slam it down on his desk as he stood up, a look of determination in his face. "Don't underestimate me! I will not run! I will take the question, even if I'm stuck to be a genin forever!" he declared. "I'll will myself to be a great ninja anyways; I don't care if I fail anyways!"

"Hehe, I'll give you all one last chance to back out. Your life is riding on this decision" Ibiki said, casting one more wave of fear into the genin. However, Laxus had managed to inspire the entire room.

 **"Hmm, that is an interesting kid"** a voice said inside a blonde Cloud kunoichi's head. **"Why does he seem familiar?"**

 _"I've seen that stubbornness from Master Bee a lot"_ the Kunoichi thought back to the voice. _"We'll have to find him in the second stage of the test and see what's so interesting about him."_

"Heh, no one else? Alright then, good decision. You all pass the first exam!" Ibiki announced to the room, shocking most of them. "I congratulate the 91 of you, the 30 teams that pass."

"WHAT?!" erupted from all over the room.

"What do you mean we pass? What about the 10th question?" Evergreen asked, now confused.

Ibiki let out a rare smile. "You could say that your choice was the 10th question."

"Then what was the point of this entire test?" Temari asked, being the second hot-headed kunoichi to lash out.

"They were not pointless. The first 9 questions already served their purpose to test your information gathering skills." Ibiki explained. "This test was designed to put pressure on the entire team as each member would have to not mess it up for their team. However, the questions on this test were much too difficult for most genin to answer alone, so everyone came up to the same conclusion...you would have to cheat to score. This test was designed to make you cheat, but in order to pass, you could not get caught."

A few of the candidates got the purpose right away. "Now, mixed into the group were a few chunin who had already taken this exam and knew the answers. This was to help you guys out and to give you accurate information. This is because..." Ibiki said, removing his bandana, only revealing a bunch of scars covering his entire head. "Sometimes, information is more important that life, and on the battlefield people give their lives to acquire such information."

Everyone saw the scars and screw holes on Ibiki's head and cringed a little at the image.

"If the enemy notices you, there is no guarantee the information you obtain will be accurate" Ibiki stated. "Remember this as accurate information can be a powerful weapon for you and your comrades. This is why we had you gather information through cheating. This clearly separated those who did and did not have the right abilities."

"Wait, then what about the 10th question?" Temari asked.

"Ah, but the tenth question is the true purpose of this test. The 'take it' or 'not take it' decision" Ibiki paused momentarily. "Let's say you become chunin and your mission is to steal an important enemy document. You don't know the number or skill of the enemy. Do you accept the mission? Because you don't want to die...Because you don't want your comrades hurt? Can you avoid this dangerous mission? The answer is NO!"

Ibiki let out a slight grin. "Those who aren't willing to put their lives on the line. Those who cling to the uncertain future of 'there is always next year', and then walk away from their chance. Those pieces of trash that can only make cowardly choices don't deserve the right to become chunin. That's how I feel!" Ibiki said. "You have made it through the entrance of the first test, I wish you guys luck."

"Hell yeah you tell them scar face!" Laxus shouted out.

"You have a scar too!" Ibiki shouted back _"mm, he's an interesting one"_ Ibiki thought to himself. Suddenly, a black bundle came crashing through the window and a black poster was unraveled on the back wall. Out of the bundle crawled a lady with short purple hair in a ponytail and a mesh shirt underneath her jacket.

"This is no time to be celebrating. It is now time for the second test. I am Anko Mitarashi, the proctor. Now, follow me!" Anko said as Ibiki face palmed himself repeatedly.

 _"This one is almost Laxus-ish"_ Evergreen thought to herself.

"Wow, 92. Ibiki, you're getting soft. The test was way too easy." Anko said to Ibiki.

"Heh, there are a lot of outstanding ones in this batch" Ibiki said.

"Bah, that's fine" Anko said. "I'll cut them at least in half by the time I'm done with them. Now I'm getting excited. I'll explain everything once we change places."

* * *

 **Author Notes**

 **Hope you enjoyed Interesting developments coming up in addition to what has already happened. Also I'm trying to add in some of the original personalities like Elfman saying man all the time and other things I would love some feedback on how I'm doing and some suggestions are wanted.**

 **Please Review/Comment**


	11. Round two forest of death

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or fairy tail and the first one to comment will be dedicated**

 _'Danger! Stay out!'_ a sign read as the group of remaining candidates stared at the dark forest in front of them.

"Welcome to the stage of the second round of the chunin exams, practice area 44, also known as the 'Forest of Death'" Anko said as a bunch of gulps were heard from the crowd. "Heh, and you'll soon find out why it's called the forest of death."

"Meh, and you'll soon find out why it's called the forest of death" Laxus said, mocking Anko. Responding to the kid's insult, Anko pulled out a kunai and threw it at Laxus so that it made a small cut along his cheek.

"Kids like you are quickly killed in here, spraying that red blood that I love soo much" Anko said, licking the blood off Laxus's cheek. She pulled another knife, feeling as if something was approaching her from behind.

"Here's your kunai" a mysterious grass ninja said, handing Anko her knife with his tongue.

"Why thank you" Anko smiled. "But don't creep up behind me like that, unless you want to die." Everyone was a bit creped out at the examiner and the grass ninja. "Hmm, looks like we have a lot of blood thirst ones in this test, this will be fun. Now, before we start, you must fill out these waivers."

"What? Why?" Elfman asked .

"Because there WILL be deaths in this exam" Anko let loose a cheerful smile, creeping out even more participants. "And we can't have your deaths starting wars and everything. Now, I'm going to explain the rules to this test. Each team will check into that booth behind me. Your team will then receive one scroll. It will either be a Heaven Scroll or an Earth Scroll. Since there are 30 teams here, 15 will get an Earth scroll and 15 will get a Heaven Scroll. In the middle of this area, there is a tower. You are to bring both a Heaven and an Earth scroll to the tower."

"So that's why you said you will cut the group in half" Freed said.

"Yes. Now, this area is a dense forest with a river running through the middle. A tower is located at the middle of the area, about 10km from each side" Anko said, holding up a map of the area. "Around this perimeter, there are 44 locked gates. This will be considered a survival exercise. You may use any weapons or Jutsu to complete the task. The only rule is that you cannot open the scrolls until you enter the tower with both scrolls. Other than that, there are no rules and killing is allowed. Also, there is a time limit. The test lasts 120 hours, or 5 days. If you are not at the tower at the end of the time limit, your team is disqualified."

"What? Five days?" Chouji yelled out. "But what about dinner?"

"The forest is full of food. Just make sure you're not on anything's menu" Anko said. "Now, 15 teams passing are very unlikely as there are poisonous snakes, insects, and beasts, along with enemy ninja. So, not only will some teams fail from losing their scrolls, but some will also die from the harshness of the course. Also, there is no quitting. You will be in the forest for the entire 5 days, unless of course you make it to the tower early."

All the teams proceeded to collect their scrolls and went to their designated gates. Team 7 and Team 10 had an obvious advantage having an extra person, but at the same time they were at a disadvantage as everyone would be coming for them. This was because they were rookies. Freed didn't mind this as that would mean he got to fight more people.

A lot of teams, especially those containing experienced veterans, were now glad that they could actually kill from now on, as that would make things easier for them.

The test began at 4:00pm, giving everyone until 4:00 five days from then to complete the test. "Begin!" was heard as the gates of the forest were unlocked and the genin were let loose.

"So basically everyone is heading to the tower" Elfman said as his team was taking a leisurely walk through the Forest of Death. It was then that an enemy team in the trees spotted them. However, Team 8 was considered tracking specialists. Akamaru's nose picked them up instantly. "Hey, already that's manly?" Elfman sounded excited, while Lucy was still rather nervous. Shino was indifferent, as usual.

"Kids standing in the open" one of the observers said. "Do they want to be found? Although it looks like they have sensed us, but they don't know our exact location."

Suddenly, another or the observers felt something drop onto his shoulder and latch onto the back of his neck. "What the hell is that?!" the third screamed out. That thing had turned out to be a giant leech that was sucking the ninja dry. Before the other two had a chance to pull the leech off of their teammate, they two were attacked. All three ninja now had multiple leeches sucking on them and were unconscious in a matter of minutes.

"Leaf jumping leaches will sense the nearest life sources and attack in groups. After 5 minutes of sucking, you will be dead" Shino said, revealing his knowledge of insects and other insect-like beasts. Elfman approached the unconscious ninja and searched them for a scroll.

"Yes! We got lucky Akamaru. They had a Heaven Scroll" Elfman said out of excitement. "Alright guys, now let's get to that tower before trouble comes."

"AHHHGGG!" various screams echoed from around the forest. Anko was sitting at the starting booth enjoying her dango and those delightful screams of pain and terror.

"Sounds like it's started" she said, letting out a creepy yet happy smile.

"sounds like things have already gotten started" Laxus said with a smirk. He could see Evergreen getting nervous. "Don't work Evergreen, this is nothing."

Laxus turned around needing to relieve himself, only to be smacked by Evergreen. "Not in front of a lady! You idiot!" She screamed as Bickslow laughed and stuck his tongue out.

Suddenly, Freed punched Laxus hard as he came back from relieving himself. "Where's the real Laxus?"

" what are you talking about Freed?" Evergreen asked.

"No Evergreen, he's right. That Laxus doesn't have the scratch on his cheek from earlier" Bickslow said. Suddenly, the real Laxus came out of the bushes from behind them as Bickslow pointed towards him. "See?"

"Oh, yeah I do" Evergreen said, noticing the scratch on a now confused Laxus's face. Freed went behind the fake Laxus's and hit his neck; dispelling the transformation and leaving an unconscious Rain ninja in its place, just as two more Rain ninja came leaping out of the trees. They had hoped to take the group by surprise while they were 'arguing' with the fake Laxus, but Freed had put an end to it. By the time they started their attack, it was too late. The four of them split up, leaving Freed and Laxus to fight one of the Rain ninja and Bickslow and Evergreen to fight the other two.

One ninja found an opening in Freed and threw a few knives with exploding tags towards Freed, forcing him to jump off the tree that he had taken post on. Laxus threw a few shuriken at the ninja and a kunai towards Freed. As the ninja was distracted with fending off Laxus's attack, Freed grabbed the knife with chakra coming out of his foot and flung it towards the ninja, striking him in the shoulder. Laxus used the opening to test out his new Jutsu in combat. He threw a single shuriken at the injured ninja. "Ninja Art: Shadow Shuriken Clone Jutsu!" For the ninja, even injured, one shuriken was nothing, but 40 was a different story. Out of desperation, the Rain ninja used his arms and legs to defend his torso and chest, but resulted in the shuriken tearing up his arms and legs, effectively leaving him immobilized from the damage done.

The last remaining Rain ninja was engaging in a taijutsu battle with Evergreen. As Evergreen began to go on the offensive, the Rain ninja started backing up. He had a lot of room to move and figured he would gain some distance before countering with his own set of blows. However, his plan was cut short when an ink Tigger appeared behind him, stopping him. All he could do now was try to block Evergreen's blows and look for a way out. "Ninja Art: Super Beast Scroll!" Bickslow shouted out as three Tigers formed and surrounded around Evergreen and the ninja. The Rain ninja looked on in surprise at Bickslow's Jutsu. They had never seen the Jutsu and the fact that a leaf kid could do something like this, stunned him long enough for Evergreen to get in a few blows. "Evergreen, get out" Bickslow called as Evergreen backed off her assault. The Rain ninja thought he was finally free until he saw Bickslow's tigers started to circle and attacked. After Bickslow's attack was complete, the Rain ninja was unconscious and would not be moving for some time. Bickslow looked over to Freed and Laxus's opponent, who had just been hit my about 40 shuriken to the arms and legs. He walked up behind him and hit the back of the ninja's neck, knocking him unconscious.

"Well, that was easy" Freed said. "Now, let's see what kind of scroll they have." The team searched the unconscious Rain ninja, revealing that they had an Earth scroll on them. "Damn it."

"What do we do with it?" Evergreen said.

"Keep it. It's worthless to them now, seeing as it will take about a week to recover from those wounds" Freed said. "Plus it might come in handy if we can find someone to bargain with it." The team agreed.

"Alright, but to avoid something like that again, we need to come up with something so that we know that it is us" Evergreen suggested. "Let's see, Bickslow is the only one I know of who can use Ink animals and it can't be copied, and you have your Sharingan, Freed. But for me and Laxus..." They came up with the idea of using a code word for Laxus and Evergreen, as there was nothing special they could use to distinguish the two. Team 7 took off, trying to avoid any unnecessary attention; however, they were unknowingly being followed.

After about an hour, they stopped. "Freed..." Bickslow said.

"Yeah, I know" Freed said. "Jump!" He shouted as a barrage of needles sailed towards them. They turned to face their attackers. They were now scattered. When they regrouped, Bickslow and Freed revealed their Justu and bloodline for the two while Evergreen and Laxus recited the code. Freed attacked Laxus once again.

"Freed, why did you attack Laxus?" Evergreen asked, shocked that she had to say that twice in the past hour. He had said the code word, which at first put Evergreen at ease. It was then that she realized this was Laxus they were dealing with...to them, he didn't have the mental capacity to remember such a long and complex code.

"Do you really think Laxus would be able to memorize the code?" Freed said, sarcastically as Evergreen nodded in agreement and Bickslow frowned.

Not far from where the rest of Team 7 was, Laxus found himself facing a giant snake. _"What the Fucking hell is up with this forest?! I've never seen a snake so big!"_ Laxus thought to himself.

 **"Kit, something is not right. That snake is not normal and I can feel a dark presence around here. Be on your guard"** warned the Fox.

The snake lunged towards Laxus, just barely dodged it. However, he didn't notice the tail, which hit him and sent him flying into a nearby tree. Soon after, the snake lunged at him again, catching Laxus in the mouth and swallowing him.

 _"Damn it! It swallowed me"_ Laxus thought _. "What to do? What to do?"_

" **Hmm, this might work"** Kurama had obviously thought of something. **"Remember those times when you ate too much ramen and felt like you were going to burst?"**

Laxus suddenly got what the Fox was talking about. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he called out as roughly 400 Laxus appeared in the snake's rapidly expanding stomach. Unfortunately for the snake, it wasn't big enough to handle that many Laxus and it burst apart, leaving Laxus covered in snake guts. Laxus bolted off towards where his team was.

When the fake Laxus recovered, he undid the transformation, revealing himself to be that Grass ninja from before. "You want my Heaven Scroll, right?" the ninja asked, holding out his scroll. He then proceeded to swallow the scroll, creeping out the three genin in front of him. "Now, let's begin the battle for each other's scroll with our lives on the line."

Evergreen, Bickslow, and Freed stood there frozen. Images of their own gruesome death flooded their minds. Their enemy flicked a few kunai towards the three. They were still frozen and would be unable to move unless something was done. Freed and did the only think he could think of and stabbed his leg with his knife to break the hold of the terror, giving him the ability to move in time.

Bickslow had also reacted and created an Ink Tigers to save himself and Evergreen. Freed looked back at their attacker, revealing his Sharingan to their opponent, before disappearing into the trees.

 _"Hmm, well it appears as if these kids have some interesting powers"_ the Grass ninja thought. _"Time to have some fun."_

Anko felt as if something wasn't right. After investigating the area around the Forest of Death, her suspicions were confirmed when she came across three lifeless bodies of Grass ninja. Upon further examination, she found that they were missing their faces.

"What?! No, it can't be" she said, clutching the back of her neck in pain. "Why is he here?" Suddenly, a squadron of ANBU appeared behind her.

She briefed the squad on her findings and the person she believed to be responsible for the crime... Orochimaru.

Evergreen could see that Freed was terrified and she tried to say something to calm him down, only for Freed to quickly cover her mouth.

 _"We have to get out of here! That guy is like nothing we have ever seen before"_ Freed thought to himself. Suddenly, a snake appeared in front of him. It struck at Freed, only to be attacked by a ink tiger, witch clawed it apart killing it. Freed took a deep breath, trying to relax, but was quickly put back on alert when the grass ninja emerged from the corpse of the dead snake.

"You guys shouldn't relax even a little. Prey should always be looking for a way to run in the presence of a predator" their enemy said.

Out of nowhere, roughly 40 shuriken were sent at the ninja as he managed to snake his way around it. "Sorry I'm late!" Laxus said, appearing on scene. "Oh, and what was that code again? I forgot."

"Laxus!" Evergreen said, relieved that he had arrived and was alive.

"I don't know what you're doing, trying to play hero. Just run away, this one's on a entirely different level" Freed shouted out. He then did the only thing he could think of. "If you leave us, I'll give you our scroll."

"What the hell are you talking about?! Why would you give the scroll to the enemy?" Laxus shouted out.

"I see...very smart" the mysterious ninja said. "Sometimes, the only way to escape a predator is to give it a different meal." Freed tossed the scroll towards their enemy, only for Laxus to grab it and punch Freed in the face.

"What was that all of the sudden, you dumbass!" Freed screamed at Laxus.

"Even though you may have your Sharingan, I can still tell you are not the real Freed" Laxus responded.

"You total moron, I am the real Freed" Freed rebutted.

"There is no way such a stupid coward like you could be the real Freed" Laxus stated. "I don't know how strong this guy is, but what guarantee is there that he will go away if we give his the scroll. You're the one that's too freaked out by the situation."

"Hehe, you're right Laxus. I can just take your scroll and kill you" the ninja said, taking some blood and rubbing it on a seal on his arm. "Summoning Jutsu!" the ninja said, summoning an even larger snake, which he was now standing on. The snake then proceeded to slam Laxus into the ground as the three genin screamed out his name.

 **"This is bad Kit"** Kurama said to Laxus.

 _"You think?"_ Laxus responded _. "I keep getting smacked around by these fucking snakes"._

 **"There is something about that man. Damn it he even gives me the chill. You are going to need my help if you want to survive this"**

 _"Then stop talking and start giving me your chakra"_ Laxus said to the Fox.

 **"I need a few moments, I'm going to try and push as I can through the seal without damaging your body. You're going to need as much as you can get."**

Laxus was flung by the snake's head, who was trying to become the second snake to eat him today. As the snake lunged at him, Laxus's pupils began to take on a red color with narrow pupils. His teeth grew into small fangs and his fingers grew claws as the Nine-Tail's power began to coarse through him. As Laxus's transformation completed, the snake slammed its tail into him, knocking him backwards through a few trees.

 _'Hmm, there is no doubt about this kid'_ the mysterious ninja thought. "This is getting fun, now what will you do Freed?" The giant snake lunged at Freed, who was to frozen to move. The snake stopped, a few feet away from Freed. Laxus had jumped in the way and stopped it in its tracks.

"No way...i-is t-that Laxus?" Freed thought, lapsing into almost Lucy-class stuttering. Something was different about this Laxus. The power that he was emitting was immense and he had taken on a slightly feral appearance. It was almost...demonic in a sense.

"Hey, are you alright, scaredy cat?" Laxus said, questioning Freed. Freed just sat there, frozen by the turn of events.

Temari and Kankuro felt the blast of demonic chakra, making them tremble in fear. It was similar to the chakra that Gajeel emitted when his killing instincts took over him, which was happening right now.

"That chakra. Mother's craves for it. I must have its blood" Gajeel said as he darted off towards the source of the demonic presence.

 **Review\comment**


	12. Orochimaru

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or fairy tail and the first person to comment will be dedicated**

* * *

Freed snapped back to reality. The sad part was that Laxus was right. The two of them were facing the snake Man while Bickslow joined their side. "Fine, I'll show you I am no scaredy cat, Laxus" Freed said as he activated the Sharingan.

Laxus, Bickslow, and Freed pulled out their shuriken, tossing them at the snake summoned. Laxus's were aimed left while Bickslow's were aimed right. As the Grass ninja tried to back up out of range of the weapons, he found himself against a ink tiger. Freed's shuriken were coming straight towards him, but broke off course at the last second.

"Hehe, can't seem to kill me? You will learn what a mistake you made, Freed" the snake ninja said as Freed smirked. With a flick of the wrist, he revealed the wire attached to the shuriken. Controlling and manipulating them, the shuriken wrapped back around, tying his opponent to Bickslow's tiger. "Fire Release:Fire Dragon Bullet!" Freed called out, sending a stream of powerful flames sailing towards their enemy. When the smoke cleared, the tiger was gone and the tree was charred, but their opponent remained. From the looks of it, his skin was burnt and peeling away.

A wave of killing intent struck the four genin as Evergreen joined them at their side. This time, it was more intense than it had been before. The four genin looked on in horror as the man's skin peeled away to reveal an even more sinister face.

 **"Kit this is bad. I am beginning to sense some dark and evil power coming from this guy"** Kurama informed Laxus. **"You will be unconscious for a few hours after this, but I'm going to push more chakra through the seal and try and get you into the one-tailed state"**

"Who the hell are you?" Freed called out, still paralyzed by fear.

"My name is Orochimaru" the snake man hissed. "If you want to see me again, then survive this exam. Of course that means defeating my men, the sound ninja trio."

"Why the hell would we ever want to see you again?!" Evergreen called out.

"I'm going to give you a little going away present, Freed. In time, you will come seek me out." With that, Orochimaru extended his neck towards Freed, looking like he was ready to bite him. Laxus stepped in front of the snake man, catching his head just before he was able to reach Freed. Red chakra began to bubble around him, forming a demonic chakra cloak.

"I won't let you touch him, you creepy bastard!" Laxus called out, punching Orochimaru in the face and sending him backwards as the chakra cloak fully enveloped Laxus, taking on an almost animalistic appearance. Laxus's team looked on in shock at the transformation that was taking place. Slowly, the cloak began to look more fox-like, with a tail and ears emerging.

"What did you do to him?!" Evergreen called out, thinking this was Orochimaru's doing.

"Hehe, why don't you ask him yourself" Orochimaru responded. "Freed, you are too valuable for me to let you escape without giving you some of my power first. But first, I know how to take care of your fox-brat friend."

Evergreen watched in astonishment as Laxus engaged Orochimaru, cloaked in this mysterious red chakra.

Orochimaru wrapped Laxus with his tongue. "Five-point sea…huh?" Orochimaru was stopped dead in his tracks and lost his grip on the boy. Something was snaking up his legs, working its way closer to the rest of his body. He looked around to see sand. It was then that he realized he would be in trouble if he stuck around much longer.

"Mother wants their blood" Gajeel said, appearing on scene and unleashing his own wave of killing intent. "I will be the one to kill them, and I'll kill you as well."

Orochimaru managed to snake his way out of Gajeel's sand claws. He was shocked. A couple of genin were forcing him to retreat, although two of them had demon-infused chakra coursing through their veins. _'Damn, I'm not going to be able to get to Freed now. Oh well, I'm sure I can think of a way to get him'._ With that, Orochimaru left as Gajeel turned his attention to Laxus, Evergreen, Freed, and Bickslow.

"Mother wants your blood" Gajeel said as his sand crept towards them. Laxus didn't know what to think, but the killing intent radiating from Gajeel told his teammates to back away.

 **"Damn"** the Fox swore to Laxus. **"Why did it have to be him?"**

 _"Who?"_ Laxus asked in confusion.

 **"It's the one-tails, Shukaku. I'd recognize the bloodlust of that badger coming from that kid anywhere"** Kurama informed Laxus **. "Kit, work on getting your team out of here. You might not have noticed, but I can't keep up the cloak for much longer. Once the cloak dissipates, you will most likely lose consciousness."**

Laxus turned to his teammates. "Guys, let's get out of here. I've got a bad feeling about this guy."

"What do you mean get out of here?! You were the one who suggested we stay and fight!" Freed argued with his demon cloaked teammate. "And care explaining that red chakra around you?"

"I will, but just trust me on this we need to get out of here" Laxus said.

"He's right" a blonde Cloud kunoichi said, jumping down next to Laxus . "This is one opponent you guys don't want to fight, given the condition you are in."

"Who are you?" Evergreen asked as the five of them were now dodging Gajeel 's sand.

"Yugito Nii" the cloud kunoichi said. "But now is not the time for introductions." With that, Yugito made a few hand seals. "Fire Release:Hellcat Flames!" She shouted as three flaming tigers roared towards Gajeel , enveloping him in flames. "That will distract him for a little, now let's go."

The five of them took off, away from Gajeel. As they were moving, Laxus's demon cloak began to fade and he slowly lost consciousness. Realizing that Laxus was fading, Freed went to catch his falling teammate and regrouped with the rest of his team.

Temari and Kankuro arrived to see Gajeel wrapped in flaming tigers. Once the flames ceased, Gajeel was unharmed, due to a cocoon of sand encasing him.

"G-Gajeel ?" Kankuro said, cautiously approaching his teammate.

"Kankuro, Temari, let's go. Mother needs blood and lots of it" Gajeel called out, letting some killing intent flow from him.

Kankuro and Temari wanted to object, but knew that Gajeel would just kill them as well. 'What caused Gajeel to become so bloodthirsty all of the sudden?' they both thought, leaving to go satisfy Gajeel's bloodlust.

Team 7 plus Yugito came to rest near the river. They set Laxus underneath the roots of a large tree, hiding him from sight of any enemies.

"Yugito, do you know what's going on?" Evergreen asked. Everyone else wanted to know. They had caught a slight glimpse of Yugito's reaction to Laxus's condition upon arrival and realized that there was something she knew.

"I do" the Cloud kunoichi said. "But I think your friend should be the one to tell you. As for that sand kid, let's just say he has a serious mental problem. Now, I don't want to do anything to hurt you, so please don't attack me and I won't kill you."

"What makes you think you can kill us?" Freed responded, taking that as a challenge.

"First, you are in no condition fight. You need to rest. And second, let's just say that kid of yours and I have something in common." They were unsure as to what Yugito was talking about. She risked herself even further by telling them that she was familiar with the kind of power that Laxus had displayed; only making Team 7 want to know more.

"Why should we believe you? You could just be here for our scroll?" Evergreen said. Yugito pulled out a scroll, revealing it to be an Earth Scroll.

"We have the same scrolls from what I saw back there, and I have no need for a third Earth Scroll" Yugito responded. Team 7 was in the same situation with two Earth Scrolls and no desire for a third as well. "If you think I am going to harm you, then attack me now and I will flee." After a short hesitation, Team 7 decided to accept Yugito's company for the time being.

* * *

 _"What do you think?"_ Yugito thought to her tenet.

 **"It's definitely one of us"** a voice within Yugito said. **"His cloak features seemed rather fox-like…Wait! It couldn't be Kurama, could it?"**

 _"Kurama?"_ Yugito responded.

 **The Nine-tails. Yes, I am pretty sure that Kurama is within that kid. It's been over a hundred years and I've actually** **been looking forward to seeing him. Oh, do I look okay? I hope he's still not bitter like he was 100 years ago and wants to talk. I really do want to talk to him."**

Yugito let out a little laugh, catching the attention of Bickslow.

* * *

 _"It's almost nightfall"_ Anko thought to herself, darting through the trees of the forest. _"I must find him before it's too late. I must stop him even if it costs my life. Even if I can't I must slow him down enough for the ANBU to arrive."_

"I must stop you, isn't that right? Orochimaru" Anko said, turning to the snake man camouflaging himself with a tree. "Why are you here?" Anko threw a few poisoned needles at Orochimaru, who snaked his way around them. He lashed out his tongue, binding Anko's wrists. "You won't get me this time, Shadow Snake Fangs!" Suddenly, snakes erupted out of Anko's wrists and bit Orohchimaru's tongue, forcing him to recall it.

"If you really must know, I'm doing some body shopping. I've picked out a fresh young Uchiha that will work out nicely" the snake let out an evil laugh. Anko knew what that meant…Orochimaru had given Freed Uchiha Justine the curse mark. Anko charged into him, forcing Orochimaru back into a tree and pinning him there with a kunai.

"Heh, caught you" she said, letting out a little smirk. "Now let me borrow your left hand." Anko made a seal between her right hand and his left hand.

 _"That seal!"_ Orochimaru thought, a little bit of fear coursing through him.

"Yes" Anko said with an evil smirk. "You and I will both die. Double Snake Assassination!" Suddenly, Orochimaru disappeared in a puff of smoke, revealing himself to be nothing more than a shadow clone. Anko cursed under her breath as Orochimaru had escaped her grasp once again.

Suddenly, the real Orochimaru came up behind her, ripping the burnt skin and revealing his true face. Anko clutched her shoulder as the pain of her curse mark flared up. "Please don't end this exam. There are some things I want to enjoy, including three from my own village" the snake ninja said. "If you stop this exam prematurely, I will destroy your precious village." With that, Orochimaru disappeared, leaving Anko lying on the tree branch to deal with the pain of her curse mark.

* * *

Surprisingly, Team 7 managed to get a good sleep, with everyone, except Laxus, taking 3 hour shifts for guard duty. After about 9 hours of resting, Laxus still had yet to wake.

"Like Lord Orochimaru said, we attack at daybreak" a sound ninja hiding in the bushes said. "Our target is Freed Uchiha Justine. If the others get in our way, we just kill them, including that Cloud girl."

As morning broke, Evergreen was the one on guard. She noticed a ruffling in the bushes and threw a kunai towards it, revealing nothing more than a squirrel. As she let out a sigh of relief, another animal came running towards her out of the bushes. She threw another knife at the animal, noticing that it was carrying something…an explosive tag. This put her on guard as she proceeded to wake Freed, Bickslow, Yugito, and attempted to wake Laxus, to no avail.

Just as she was going to wake Freed, there was a voice behind the trees. "Don't wake Freed. We want to fight him, but you'll just get in the way."

"What are you here for? That Orochimaru creep sent you, didn't he?!" Evergreen shouted, waking the others with the exception of Laxus.

Upon seeing Freed get up, the three sound ninja were in a slight state of shock. "H-how are you up?" the one with black Kakashi-like hair said. "I thought the mark Orochimaru gave you should have put you in too much discomfort to fight, if not killed you!"

"What mark?" said a confused Freed. Everyone else wanted to know about this mark the Sound ninja were talking about. After hearing that, he remembered Orochimaru's head traveling towards them, but Laxus stepping in the way to block it with that weird chakra cloak around him.

"What do you mean…what mark? The curse mark that should be on the back of your neck" the sound ninja said.

"your boss never gave me a curse mark, thanks to that exhausted idiot over there" Freed said pointing to Laxus .

"B-but, how did Lord Orochimaru fail?" the girl asked. Freed just shrugged.

"Now I suggest you leave before we have to kill you" Freed said as Bickslow, Evergreen, and Yugito joined him. "Evergreen, guard Laxus. I don't want him dying before I find out about that weird power of his. Bickslow, you take the girl, I'll take the one that stole Kakashi's ridiculous hair style,"

* * *

Meanwhile in the main area of the village a white haired jonin felt the need to sneeze.

* * *

"and Yugito you get the other one." Freed finishes

The three Sound ninja jumped at the four Leaf and Cloud ninja. Evergreen smiling as they did. Using her knife, she cut a wire, sending two giant logs towards them.

"When did you do that?" Bickslow asked, surprised by the attack.

"This morning while everyone was sleeping" Evergreen said letting loose a little grin. She even managed to get a smile out of Freed, who charged his target. Grant it, the rest of the fight wasn't exciting. Freed was hoping for a better fight from the sound guys, but all that happened is that the girl found herself a being held down by a lion; the Kakashi-looking guy broke one of his arms after Freed kicked him right into one of Evergreen's traps, and the last sound ninja wound up being chased by flaming cats for a solid 15 minutes. After all was said and done, the Sound ninja had a damn Earth Scroll on them. The last thing they all needed was another Earth Scroll.

"Morning everyone" Laxus yawned. His attention turned to the defeated sound ninja. "Did I miss something?" Everyone's sweat dropped as they were wondering how anyone could sleep with a fight going on near them, considering that there was a Laxus-shaped outline made of shuriken and kunai on the tree directly behind where he was. Somehow, the lucky kid managed to avoid any projectile thrown his way. Seeing their opportunity, the Sound ninja escaped.

Freed now had the chance to ask the question that everyone wanted to know the answers to. "Laxus, about yesterday…what happened?" he asked as everyone's attention turned to Laxus.

"I don't want to talk about it" Laxus said, trying to avoid the subject.

"And why not?" Evergreen said, trying to be nice and play the opposite to Freed's forcefulness.

"Does it have something to do with that weird chakra?" Bickslow asked Laxus nodded. For some reason though, he could see Yugito looking at him with a look of sadness and understanding. It was then that Laxus realized that the two of them were similar.

"Which one?" he asked Yugito.

"Two, you?" she responded to him. Now everyone wanted desperately to know what they were talking about.

"Nine" Laxus said.

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Evergreen said butting in.

"Evergreen, can I ask you a question?" Laxus said. He was no longer the cheerful blonde-haired idiot that they all knew and loved. In his eyes, they could see a hint of pain and suffering.

 **"So are you going to tell them?".** Kurama asked his host.

 _"Yeah. If I just hide from them, they will definitely hate me and I would rather have them hating me knowing why they were doing it"_ Laxus told his resident demon.

"What is it?" Evergreen asked Laxus .

"Do you know why everyone in the village hated me?" Laxus asked as everyone went silent.

"Well, now that you mention it, I never really thought about it" Evergreen responded. "I remember some people referring to you as a demon child, but what could that possibly mean?"

"Do you know about the Nine-tails attack on the village almost 13 years ago?" Laxus asked as his teammates nodded.

"The Nine-tails? Well, I was told it was an evil monster that attacked our village. However, the Fourth sacrificed himself to kill the demon and save the village" Evergreen said. Inside, Kurama scuffed at the comment.

"What if I told you that story was made up" Laxus said.

"What do you mean by that?" Freed asked still not picking up on anything. Bickslow was slowly realizing that something was up.

"For the past 12 years, the Third put a law into place to try and protect me; however, that ended up backfiring and the entire village ended up resenting me, seeing me as some remnant of that night" Laxus said, taking a deep breath. "On that night, the only way the Fourth could defeat the Nine-tails was to seal the Nine-tails inside a newborn infant."

"No!" gasped Evergreen, suddenly realizing what Laxus was trying to say.

"Yes Evergreen, that infant was me" Laxus said as he saw her eyes tear up. Freed stood in shock at the revelation, Bickslow's face was stoic but inside he was plotting lots of pain for the villagers for hurting his friend but was still in shock that Laxus had an actual demon inside of him. However, Yugito was the only one who truly understood his pain. "Before you go freaking out and try to hate me like the rest of the village, please understand that I am not the Nine-tails. It's not like I had a choice in the matter and it just happened. I'm still Laxus, it's just that I have the Nine-tails inside me." Laxus looked up at his team, who just stared at him in shock. There was no way their little knuckleheaded teammate could have a demon.

"Evergreen?" Laxus asked.

Evergreen was trying her best to suppress her regret for not helping and treating Laxus like a piece of crap in the past. "I…I never knew…" her voice trailed off. "That's why everyone hated you?" Laxus nodded. Evergreen was at a loss for words. Laxus looked at Freed who was just looking at him with his usual demeanor.

"Freed?" Laxus asked. "Is something wrong?"

Freed shook his head. "It's just hard to believe that you have a demon inside of you. You've always been so positive, despite everything that you've gone through. I know the feeling of loneliness, it tears at you. How did you bear that for 12 years? Don't you hate the villagers for doing what they did to you?"

Laxus smiled. "No, I don't hate them. I just see it as I need to prove them wrong and show them who I really am."

"You mean a blonde-haired, mischief making idiot?" Freed let that joke slip, enraging Laxus a little. But Laxus soon realized that was just how Freed is and he realized that his team wasn't going to abandon him like the rest of the village. "After what you did yesterday. It sounds like that creep was going to give me some sort of curse and you were able to stop him and save us, Laxus. We talked about what all the possibilities for that weird chakra you had were, but we came up to the same conclusion…"

"Huh?" Laxus said, a little confused.

"We decided that regardless of what it was, you just wanted to protects us, so we wouldn't hate you for whatever it was that you said" Evergreen said, reassuring Laxus. Laxus just gave his team a big smile. Somehow, his team had managed to look past the demon inside him after his actions yesterday saved them from that creepy snake dude.

 **"Hey Kurama, can you hear me at all?"** another voice inside Laxus 's head called out.

 **"Barely, is that you Matatabi? This connection is shaky, probably because of this damn seal"** Kurama said.

"Ahg!" Laxus began freaking out, hearing a second voice inside his head. "Why are there two voices inside my head? That damn fox was enough, but now there is another one?" Everyone looked at him as if he were going insane. Yugito just laughed.

"It's probably the two tails. She's been wanting to talk to your friend ever since we realized that you were his jinchuriki" Yugito said.

"Wait, does that mean?" Evergreen said, pointing at Yugito.

"Yes. Like Laxus , I am a jinchuriki as well" Yugito explained. "While our Tailed Beasts can normally only talk to us, sometimes they can generate links between other jinchuriki to talk to other Tailed Beast."

"Wait, so that means you can talk to that evil demon, Laxus ?" Freed sent him a suspicious look.

"Yeah, oh and speaking of which, he's not really evil, just misunderstood" Laxus said as the rest of his team looked on with utter confusion. Laxus explained to them everything that Kurama had told him and Team 7 did the only thing they could do regarding the matter, they accepted what Laxus was saying.

"So what you're saying is that you can access the Fox's power any time?" Freed asked, hoping that was not the case. If Laxus had access to that power all the time, he would never be able to beat his teammate.

"No. I can only use it in emergency situations, like back there" Laxus said. Evergreen asked him why and Laxus explained that by using the Nine-Tail's power with the seal still intact, it would put a major strain on his body, which could also respond in him going unconscious like he did before or even going insane. Plus, if the seal was stressed for too long, it would begin to crack. If the seal broke, then both Laxus and the Nine-tails would die. The only way to safely release the seal was with some sort of key.

Most of the conversation between Kurama and Matatabi was just regular chit-chat; however, they did get onto an interesting topic. **"What do you think of that Sand kid? Do you think he's…?"** Matatabi said.

 **"Uhg, I really hope not, but unfortunately I think so."** Kurama responded.

"Huh? Now they are talking about that Gajeel kid" Laxus said to Yugito.

"What about Gajeel?" Freed asked, trying to get as much info on one of the more powerful competitors as he could.

"Both of our inhabitants have some to the conclusion that he may also be a jinchuriki for the one-tails" Yugito stated as a wave of shock was sent through the Leaf ninja. "They don't really know much more, but they said to watch out for him."

Of course, this only made Freed want to fight him more. The aspect of going up against something with power similar to that of what Laxus had just displayed was rather invigoration.

Now the team turned to Yugito, as their curiosity was directed towards the Cloud jinchuriki. "So why did you come and find us if you are not after our scroll or anything?" Evergreen asked, wanting to know why she found them and helped them escape from Gajeel 's sand.

"To be honest, I needed to get away from my team. Karui and Omoi are two you never want to be around when they start arguing. Especially when Karui starts shooting her head off" Yugito explained as Evergreen was reminded of how Laxus and Freed act sometimes. "Also, Matatabi and I wanted to confirm our suspicions about Laxus ."

Suddenly, they all heard screaming and yelling coming from behind them. "Well, looks like my team is here. I had better go before they cause you trouble." Yugito said, leaving the group of Leaf ninja.

It was getting late on the third day and the four of them had decided to make their way closer to the tower, with the hoped of picking up some opponents camping out to ambush competitors. Their luck paid off and the soon found themselves facing another group of Rain ninja, who apparently wanted revenge for what Team 7 did to their comrades earlier on. However, they really weren't much of a match for Team 7, who already outnumbered them before Laxus used his shadow clones.

"Haha. About time!" Evergreen cheered as she searched the defeated ninja to find a Heaven Scroll. The four made their way to the tower, leaving just over a day left in the competition. Shortly after, they arrived at the tower and proceeded into their designated rooms. The entered a room to discover no one there, but they found a poster with some sort of saying on it. After seeing that there were missing words, Evergreen figured that they would be on the scrolls. The time had come for Team 7 to open their scrolls. As they did, a cloud of smoke appeared in front of them. Team 7 expected one final enemy.

"Hey, long time no see" the figure in the smoke said. Suddenly, the person was tacked by a small blonde-haired boy who seemed excited to see him.

"Iruka-sensei?!" the rest called out. "What are you doing here?" Evergreen asked.

"I'm here to congratulate you four for completing the second part of the exam" Iruka explained. "At the end of the exam, its set up so that we chunin are able to meet up with the test takers, and it just so happens that I got summoned to meet you four. And it looks like you made it with just over a day to spare." The four of them were happy to complete the second exam. "Now, you guys can use the tower to rest up and to see if any other groups arrive."

"Did anyone else arrive?" Freed asked.

"Yes, I believe I saw Elfman, Lucy, and Shino earlier. A group of cloud ninja arrived about an hour before you four, and there is one last group of Leaf ninja here, although I don't really know them" Iruka said.

With that, Team 7 entered the tower to go join the rest of them.

* * *

 **A/N: Alright, so that is pretty much it for the second round in the chunin exams. There will be prelims in the next few chapters. Please give some reviews I need them also don't forget that the poll is ending soon.**

 **A/N: And for those of you wondering, No Freed does not have the curse mark and Team 7 knows about the Nine-tails .**


	13. Preliminary part 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or fairy tail and the first person to comment will be dedicated**

* * *

 **"Damn it** " Kurama swore as Team 7 entered the living areas in the tower, only to see Gajeel and his team. **"Why did he have to make it?"**

 _"Shut up. If he becomes a problem, then we will just have to beat him up."_ Laxus said to Kurama.

Team 7 passed Gajeel and the Sand ninja, receiving a glare as they did so. They proceeded deeper into the tower, hoping to find Team 8. "About time you guys made it" Elfman said, coming to meet them. "I was afraid we would have to spend all day with that sand guy. Hey speaking of which, have you guys noticed something seriously wrong with that guy's head?" The four of them nodded in agreement. Following that, they explained their encounter to Elfman.

"Whoa! You mean you guys ran into him in the forest?" Elfman said. "And you got out alive? That's manly"

"You saw him to?" Evergreen asked with a slight blush.

"Yeah, we did. Akamaru noticed him first, but then began trembling like I've never seen before. I tell you, something is not right about that guy. We watched him mercilessly kill another team using his sand. We thought we were next on his kill list, but something caught his attention and he left" Elfman explained with a mostly unnoticed blush at the beginning but turned serious afterwards. Team 7 knew all too well what caught Gajeel 's attention and looked at Laxus. Apparently the Fox had managed to save a few more of their friends. At that time Shino and Lucy emerged into the room.

"Hello" Shino said, greeting his comrades with as few words as possible. He walked into the common area with Lucy following closely behind him.

"L-Laxus , y-you made it" the shy girl said, letting out a blush and trying to avoid eye contact.

"Yep, we sure did!" Laxus said. He had returned completely to his normal self since his team found out about the Fox. "And you made it too! See, I told you Lucy. You would do great. I mean you guys were the first ones here!"

"You bet! That makes us the best and means that Shino and I are the man and Lucy the women" Elfman bragged. Freed shot him a look, effectively shutting him up. "Geez, can't take a joke can you, Uchiha?"

"There are a lot of powerful ninja here, so you s

* * *

houldn't go shooting your mouth off like Laxus" Freed said as Laxus yelled back " Bastard!, "But don't underestimate anyone here. I heard that the last test is single combat and if anyone here has to face Gajeel Redfox, you had better be careful." Everyone took Freed's warning.

As it got closer to the end of the exam, a few more teams arrived. Amongst them was the trio of Sound ninja, a team of Waterfall ninja, Kabuto's team, Lee's team, and Team 10. As the end of the exam neared, everyone in the tower proceeded to the main hall in the tower, as instructed to meet with the proctors of the exam.

The timer stopped, the second portion of the exam had concluded. All the candidates who passed the exam were now standing in a large room. On a stage in front of them, stood the Hokage, proctor, and the jonin senseis for each team.

"First off, congratulations on passing the second exam" the Hokage announced.

"Wow, 22 participants out of 90. I was expecting to cut them in half, but I was expecting single digits" Anko thought to herself. "I guess Ibiki was right, there are some outstanding ones in this group."

The candidates looked around to see who else was there. Some looked exhausted and beat up. Others, like Team 8, who had 4 days of rest, looked refreshed and ready to go.

"Hmm, your team looks pretty good, Kakashi" Gai said to his 'eternal rival'. "But as long as my team is around, don't expect them to get any farther. Now, it's all about REAL ability. Well, with youth, there are sweet times and there are sour times, eh Kakashi?"

"Huh?" said Kakashi, completely ignoring anything Gai had just said. "Oh Gai? You say something?"

Gai turned away and tensed up, clutching a fist. "Not bad Kakashi. You're cool in that way and it really gets on my nerves."

The jonin took a look at their students. Baki looked at his team of Sand ninja and noticed that Gajeel was unscathed, but there was something unsettling about him. Something had happened in the forest that had Gajeel unleased. Asuma was proud of his team seeing as Cana was a new member. Kurenai noted that her team looked shaken by something. Gai admired the youthfulness of his team. Kakashi on the other hand, just gave his team the usual smile and wave. To be honest, he had never imagined that his team you make it this far. He had entered them in hopes that they would mature from this experience; however, it seems as if they were well above his expectations.

"No wonder they nominated them" . "For all of them to make it is surprising to say the least."

"Lord Hokage will now explain the third test" Anko announced to everyone. "Please listen carefully."

"I will, but first there is something I would like you to know. It's about the true purpose of these exams" the Hokage said. "Think about it, why do we have many different countries here if each village could hold their own chunin exams for their own ninja?"

Everyone took a few moments to think about what the Hokage was saying. "To promote friendship between countries?" the Hokage asked. "I don't want you to be confused by these exams' true meaning. In reality, this is a replacement for war amongst countries." He received many startled looks from the crowd.

"War?! What does that mean?" Levy said to her team.

"If you go back in time, current allies were once enemies who fought each other for control" the Hokage explained. In order to prevent fighting, this is the stage these countries chose to do battle on…That is the purpose of these exams."

"What?!" Laxus blurted out. "Isn't this thing for deciding who becomes chunin?"

"It is a fact that this exam decides who has what it takes to become chunin" the Hokage explained. "But this exam has another side…Where each country's shinobi risk their own life to protect their land's prestige. There will be leaders and influential individuals watching the third exam, many of them come from countries that are clients of shinobi. If the strength of a country is clear, that country will receive more clients, and if seen week, they will lose clients. Not to mention, it will send a message to other villages that 'our village has much power'. The strength of a country is the strength of the village. The strength of the village is the strength of the shinobi. And a shinobi's true strength is born only through life-risking battles."

"But why do you say stuff about being for friendship?" Levy asked.

"I said in the beginning, I don't want you to confuse the purpose of this. By losing life and establishing balance, this is the shape of friendship in the world of shinobi" the Hokage stated. "Before we begin the third test, I will tell you one more thing…This is not just a test. This is a life-risking battle, with your dreams and country's prestige on the line. I'd like to explain the third test but…"

"(cough) actually, I apologize Lord Hokage. From here on, as referee, will you please allow me, Hayate Gekkou " a sickly looking ninja said, appearing before the Hokage. The Hokage agreed. "Hello everyone, I'm Hayate. Before we begin, there is something I would like you to do. It's a preliminary for the third test. To decide who gets to participate in the main event."

"Preliminary?!" many people questioned in unison. "What do you mean? Why aren't all the people here allowed to participate?" Evergreen asked.

"Because the first and second tests may have been too easy this year and we have too many people remaining" Hayate said. "According to the rules, we may have a preliminary to reduce the number of participants for the third test. As Lord Hokage said, there are many important individuals and time is important. Now that that is said, if there is anyone who feels like they cannot participate in a preliminary match now, please step forward now and you will be removed."

"I'm going to quit" Kabuto said. Zaku, who's arm was broken, and one of Kabuto's teammates opted to so the same. One of the Waterfall ninja did as well.

"Should we remove Freed due to the curse mark?" Anko whispered to the Hokage.

"I don't think that will be possible" Kakashi said, joining the conversation. "He is an Uchiha after all."

"Besides, I don't exactly want to have to deal with Orochimaru's threats. If the mark does not flare up, then let him compete" the Hokage said, much to Anko's disliking.

* * *

Freed turned to his team. "I am not backing out. There are many people here that I want to fight" he said. "Laxus, you're one of the people I want to fight you." Laxus stared at his teammate and smiled.

"I want to fight you as well" he responded as their rivalry heated up.

Neji turned to his cousin. "Lucy, you should also back out. I must admit that I am impressed you made it this far, but if you continue, something bad will surely happen to you" said Neji. Laxus, who was within hearing distance of this was a little enraged by Neji's unexplained behavior towards Lucy.

"What the hell do you know about Lucy? She's stronger then you'll ever be and she doesn't need to listen to you" responded Laxus while his teammates looked curiously at his reaction.

 _"Laxus thinks I am strong?"_ Lucy thought to herself. This gave her the courage to defy her cousin's warnings and remain in the competition.

"Now (cough), if there is no one else, we are going to begin the preliminaries" Hayate announced. "Since there are 22 entries now, we will have 11 matches. Each match will be a one-on-one battle with the match ending when one fighter is dead, unconscious, or admits defeat."

Anko said something into her headset and a screen appeared on the wall behind them. "This electronic scoreboard will show two randomly selected people, who will do battle" she said as names began to flash on the screen. After it stopped, two names remained: _Freed Uchiha Justine and Yori Akado._

"Hmm, so soon?" Freed said, trying to sound surprised.

"Now, these two entrants come forward while the rest of you, please proceed to the balconies above to watch the matches" Hayate announced.

"Freed, you better not lose if you want to fight me" Laxus said to his teammate. Freed gave him his usual look, indicating that he was planning on winning this quick. Kakashi also walked past Freed.

"Freed" Kakashi whispered. "Don't use the Sharingan. If that mark acts up, I will have to step in and stop the fight."

"What mark?" Freed asked, sending a surprised Kakashi an annoyed look and wondering what was up with everyone thinking he had some sort of mark. Kakashi looked at the back of Freed's neck to find that the speculations going around the jonin were false and that Orochimaru had not given Freed a curse mark.

"Hmm, we'll talk about this later then. I guess just forget about what I said then" Kakashi responded as he went up to the stairs.

* * *

With that, the match began. Yori started off by making a quick hand seal, and a blue chakra aura surrounded his hands. Freed activated his Sharingan as Yori sent a few shuriken sailing towards Freed, who easily dodged them. Freed charged at Yoru, engaging in a quick taijutsu battle. Freed had Yori pinned to the ground, but Yori reached and gripped Freed's chest, the blue aura appearing around his hand. Freed soon felt some chakra being drained from him as he disengaged from Yori. Shocked at Yori's ability to absorb chakra, he knew he would have to fight this battle from ranged, or his movements would have to be quick and precise.

"Hehe, how's that curse mark feeling, Freed?" Yori thought to himself. "You are going to have to engage me in close combat." It was then that Yori noticed the Sharingan. "What?! How does he have the Sharingan activated? He shouldn't be able to without the curse mark flaring up?" Orochimaru had apparently never mentioned that he had failed to give Freed the curse mark, thanks to the demon-powered Laxus. Freed hated to admit it, but he owed Laxus big time for saving him back there.

Yori knew he was in trouble if Freed could use his Sharningan. He made a desperate attempt to end the fight by charging at Freed with his jutsu active. Suddenly, he felt a foot make contact with the bottom of his haw, knocking him into the air. Copying Lee's technique, Freed appeared behind Yori in his shadow. Freed kicked Yori a few times, making him fall faster towards the ground with each blow. Finally, Freed flipped around so that he was on top of Yori and drove his knee into his opponent's gut as Yori and the ground met. "Lion's Barrage!" Freed called out as his final strike knocked Yori unconscious and out of the exam.

"Ah, Freed. You may have avoided me in the forest, but you will become mine soon enough" Orochimaru said, disguised as the Sound team's sensei. "However, I need to make sure that next time the demon brat won't be in my way."

Kakashi appeared next to the Hokage and Anko. "I looked at Freed's neck before the match and there doesn't appear to be a curse mark. I'm going to take him for a further examination to be sure, but it appears that Freed has avoided that fate for the time being." Anko looked at Kakashi out of surprise and the Hokage nodded in agreement.

"Winner, Freed Uchiha Justine" Hayate announced as medics came to collect Yori.

* * *

Kakashi went to meet Freed. "Come with me, the Hokage just wants to be sure" he said to Freed as the Uchiha victor followed him out of the room.

"Where's Freed going?" Evergreen asked out of curiosity. Laxus and Bickslow shrugged.

"Next match, Chouji Akamichi vs Dosu Kinta" Hayate announced.

Chouji stepped forward, revealing some of his nerves to his opponent. "Heh, I have to fight this nervous fatty?" Dosu taunted his opponent.

"What did you just say?!" Chouji growled in anger. Dosu had just said the taboo word for Chouji. "I AM NOT FAT! Human Boulder!" Chouji did one of his family's jutsu, inflating himself into a large ball and rolling at high speeds towards Dosu. Dosu sidestepped Chouji as the human boulder slammed into the wall. Wanting to end it quick, Dosu revealed some apparatus on his forearm and slammed it into Chouji. With a flick of his finger,

* * *

he sent a shockwave of sound through Chouji's body, effectively knocking him out.

"Winner, Dosu Kinta" Hayate announced as Team 10 let their spirits drop. "Next match, Cana Yuki Alberona vs Levy Mcgarden."

"Hmm, this will be an interesting fight" Levy said as she faced Cana. The battle between the weapons expert and senbon specialist was about to begin.

"Begin!" Hayate announced as Levy took a step backwards, throwing a few shuriken to test the waters. Cana quickly knocked them out of the way with her senbon and sent a few more towards Levy, who dodged them rather easily.

"You're not going to beat me with senbon. I know about all types of weapons and yours is not powerful enough." Levy stated.

"Levy! Show her the power of your youth!" Lee said, cheering for his teammates from the stands. Not caring about anyone else's ears, Lee did so, deafening anyone standing within 10 feet of him.

"Lee! Cheer harder!" Gai instructed.

"Yes Gai-sensei! I will pour all of my youth into this cheer!" shouted Lee. Now, no one was safe from Lee's shouts.

"Hmm, this match is practically over" Freed said, returning to the stands.

"Is Kakashi-sensei with you?" Laxus asked.

"No, he stayed behind, saying he had something to check up on, typical." Freed shrugged.

"Hehe, long time no see, Kakashi" the Sound sensei said to Kakashi. "You should consider your student lucky. However, he won't escape me next time."

"Orochimaru" Kakashi growled out. "Why are you here? Why are you after Freed?"

"Heh, you're lucky. You've already got your hands on it" Orochimaru hissed. Kakashi realized what Orochimaru was referring to. "Yes, it's the Sharingan. Just like the one in your left eye. I want it!"

"Hmm, what are your goals?" Kakashi said, trying to squeeze as much out of the snake before it slithered away.

"The newly created Sound village…that's MY village. You should be able to figure out just from that" Orochimaru said. "For that purpose, I need a lot of pieces."

Kakashi activated his Lightning blade, ready to take down Orochimaru if he must. However, Orochimaru just turned and left into the darkness. "I will get my hands on Freed and there is nothing you can do to stop me." Orochimaru let out a sinister laugh as he faded from view.

"What do you mean over?!" Lee shouted at Freed. "Levy's youthful powers far succeed your team mate's!"

"Just watch the match and you'll see" Freed said as everyone turned their attention back to the match.

Levy and Cana were engaged in an equal battle of throwing weapons at one another. Realizing that she needed something different, Levy took out the two scrolls on her side. "Ninja art: Twin Rising Dragons!" Suddenly, the two scrolls unfurled and rose into the air. Levy jumped up and began summoning weapons, bombarding Cana with a rain of sharp pointy objects.

With her attack finished, Levy landed on the ground to see the results. All she saw was Cana encased in a dome of ice.

"What?!" most of the people in the stands said. Team 7 and Team 10 didn't look so surprised.

"Gai-sensei, what is up with that ice surrounding Cana " Lee asked. Everyone else was shocked by Cana 's mysterious ability.

"Like I said, this match is over" Freed repeated himself. "Cana has a rare bloodlimit called the Ice Release . Watch a little more and you shall see its true powers."

"Ice Release: Demonic Ice Mirrors!" Cana said as a dome of ice mirrors formed around Levy.

"Levy!" Lee shouted out as the rest of Team Gai looked on at Cana's abilities.

"Please surrender now. I do not wish to harm you" Cana said, his reflection appearing in every mirror.

"Hah, like you could keep me trapped in here is mere ice?" Levy replied. She threw a few kunai with explosive tags at one of the mirrors, only for it to be unfazed, much to her surprise. Cana went on the offensive, hitting the joints on her arms and legs with senbon, effectively immobilizing Levy. "What did you do? I can't move" she called out as she collapsed to the ground.

"I hit the nerve clusters in your arms and legs. You won't be able to move them for about an hour, but I made sure not to damage them. You should be able to regain full control after some rest" Cana explained. Neji looked on in shock at the skills Cana possessed. The girl's precision appeared to rival even his own.

The proctor took a look at Levy and she noted that what Cana said was correct. "Alright, I declare Cana Yuki Alberona the winner."

"Next up, Mira Yamanaka Stratus vs. Evergreen." Everyone in the stands braced for the cat fight of the century.

 **A/N: Alright, so I decided to keep some matches the same, but others I have changed. Also, there will be a few additional matches as I have to include a few new players (the Cloud and Waterfall for example).**

 **A/N: About Orochimaru and the curse mark. The main reasons everyone believes Freed had the curse mark was because of Anko misinterpreting Orochimaru's words and the fact that Orochimaru never said anything to his subordinates. I also find it in Orochimaru's character to send some confusion around every now and then.**

 **Comment and Review**


	14. Mira vs Evergreen

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or fairy tail and the first person to comment will be dedicated**

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"Next match: Mira Yamanaka Stratus vs. Evergreen " Hayate announced. The two shocked kunoichi proceeded to the floor.

"I never thought that I would have to fight you, Evergreen " Mira said to her opponent. To Mira's surprise, Evergreen removed her headband that she had been using to hold back her hair, and tied it properly around her forehead.

"Those two. This could get troublesome" Shikamaru sighed, leaning on the railing.

 _'Hmm, it may not look like it, but Mira is an exceptional shinobi'_ Asuma thought about his student. _'But will she be able to go all out against Evergreen ?'_

* * *

*Flashback*

"As a female ninja, we must not only be skilled in the arts of the shinobi, but also culture and knowledge" an academy instructor lectured. "If you cannot sneak into enemy territory and act as a normal woman, then being a spy will be pointless. Today's lesson will be flower arrangement, now go and pick some flowers."

The little girls ran off to complete their assignment.

"Mira, wait up" a little Evergreen said, calling out for her friend. Before reaching a small Mira, she tripped and fell to the ground.

"I'm bad at this stuff, how about you?" Evergreen asked her friend.

What?" Mira asked, trying to see if Evergreen was serious. " Hehe, there is a trick to this."

"What? Really?" Evergreen said.

"Yeah. What you do is find a main flower, and then find smaller flowers that compliment it" Mira explained. "Look over there." Mira pointed at a few flowers. "If this 'Cosmos' is the main flower, then you can use that 'Fujibakama' as a compliment. Like the Sakura flower in the spring, the Cosmos flower is the most beautiful flower in the fall. And in flower language, it means harmony as it goes along great with any other autumn flower." Mira then held the flower up to her head and gave a cute smile. "Look? Does this go as nice with me as it does the Cosmos? Aren't I a cutie?"

"Y..yeah" Evergreen responded.

"What was with that pause" Mira asked. Suddenly three larger girls appeared behind Evergreen .

"Well, well, if it isn't miss crybaby" their leader said. "Trying to make yourself look better recently? Who do you think you are?"

Mira then proceeded to deck the girl upside the head, sending her flying back and leaving a few flowers sticking out of her mouth. "I'm sorry, I must have mistaken that opening for a vase" Mira said as the rest of the girl's group gathered around their unconscious leader. "It may be weak, but that flower is poisonous. You had better spit it out." With that, the three older girls were running away from Mira.

 _'Mira is so incredible. She's so smart and fashionable and cute. And her ninjutsu skills are great as well_ ' Evergreen thought. _'But compared to her, I'm just…'_

Evergreen looked down at the flowers she was holding and got a saddened look on her face. "If Mira is a Cosmos, then I'm just a Fujibakama" Evergreen said quietly, although Mira picked up on what she was saying.

"What are you talking about? If you ask me, you aren't even a flower, you are a bud" Mira said, only worsening Evergreen's depression.

*End Flashback*

* * *

"Right now, I have no intention of fighting you" Evergreen said, facing her opponent as she recalled some of her childhood memories with Mira.

"What?!" Mira shouted out.

" I am stronger than you. I don't even have to worry about you." Evergreen stated.

"Evergreen, who the hell do you think you are?!" Mira replied. "Don't get ahead of yourself, cry-baby Evergreen!"

"What are they doing?" Laxus asked Kakashi.

"Well, it looks like Evergreen doesn't want Mira to not take her seriously or show her mercy" Kakashi explained.

* * *

*Flashback*

"Hey Mira, why did you give me the ribbon?" Evergreen asked, sitting next to her friend.

"Hehe, that's because it would be a waste if you ended up as a bud" Mira said. "A flower is meaningless unless to blooms, right? And it could grow into an even more beautiful flower."

'Thank you, Mira' Evergreen said to herself as the two went off to pick some more flowers.

*End Flashback*

* * *

"I have always believed those words that you told me" Evergreen said to her opponent and rival. "I had always believed them to be true. I wanted to be like you. You were my goal. Thanks to you I am here now. That's why, Mira, I want this to be an all-out fight. Unless I really surpass you, it's meaningless."

"Why are they acting like that?!" Laxus said, hoping they would get to the fight.

 _'He doesn't even understand. He's the same way with Freed_ ' Kakashi thought, looking over to Freed, who was also starting to get a little impatient at the talking.

On the floor, Mira moved her headband from her waist to her forehead, indicating that she acknowledged Evergreen as an opponent. The fight was ready to begin. Evergreen ran at Mira, creating three clones in the process. Mira saw right through them, but Evergreen had just focused all of her chakra to her feet, causing her to lunge at Mira with increased speed. Her fist made contact with Mira, sending her back.

"Wow! Evergreen rules!" Laxus shouted out.

"Her basic chakra control is perfect, even for a rookie" Kakashi said. "In that respect, she's even better than you and Freed." This caught both of their attention as Kakashi tried to redirect it back to the fight.

 _'Wow, Evergreen is even more beautiful now than she ever was.'_ Both Lee and Elfman thought to themselves but when Elfman realized what he had thought he blushed. Evergreen and Mira both engaged one another, then backing off to throw shuriken at each other. Their shuriken hit one another, cancelling the attack completely. _'But her opponent is great to, this could be a long match.'_

'Since when did she become so strong?' Mira thought.

'I can do this!' Evergreen thought. Both of their fists collided with each other's faced, sending them both to the ground. By this point in time, the battle had gone on over 10 minutes and even the proctor was starting to get impatient.

"There's no way you could be even with me!" Mira shouted.

"Of course, how could I be even with someone who only worries about growing her hair!" Evergreen replied. Mira then took a knife and cut her long ponytail off, much to her team's and surprisingly Freed's surprise. She then threw the cut hair on the ground, scattering it over.

"Yikes!" Shikamaru said. "She's snapped!"

"I'm going to end this right now. I'm going to make 'I give up' come directly from your mouth" Mira said, making her family's signature hand seal.

"I understand your desperation, but that is useless, seeing as all I have to do is avoid it, which will be easy" Evergreen said. "You then wouldn't be able to return to your body for a few minutes and Hayate would be forced to call the fight." Evergreen prepared to run, only to get tangled in Mira's hair that lined the ground.

"Ninja art: Mind Transfer Jutsu!" Mira called out as her body went limp. At the same time, so did Evergreen's.

"Wait, which one is it?" Shikamaru called out, not sure if her Jutsu hit.

"Too bad, Evergreen" Mira said, from Evergreen's body.

"Evergreen !" Lee, Elfman, and Laxus called out. "Now's your chance, finish Mira off!"

"Idiots, it's useless now" Shikamaru explained. "Mira transferred her mind into Evergreen. She's now in control of Evergreen."

"Proctor, I Evergreen, would like to..." Mira/Evergreen said.

"EVERGREEN DON'T DO IT!" Laxus shouted out. "If you lose to that Mira, you're not a woman!" While Freed once again surprisingly showed an emotion and glared at Laxus for the last bit.

 _'What the hell is that suppose to mean!?'_ Mira thought. Suddenly, Mira felt something inside Evergreen's head, like Evergreen was fighting back for control. She clutched her head.

Inside Evergreen's head, the 'inner Evergreen' began beating up Mira, forcing her out of Evergreen's body.

"Two minds? What the hell?" Mira said with her own voice again.

"Heh, don't you know women have to be tough to survive?" Evergreen said, finally regaining control of herself.

'Hmm, once you are caught by that Jutsu, it's difficult to repel' Kakashi thought. 'But, what if Laxus's cheering awakened her inner desire to beat Mira and that's what gave her the strength'

"Way to go Evergreen!" Elfman shouted.

With one last burst of energy, the two kunoichi charged at each other, their punches making contact with each other's faces. The two fell to the ground unconscious. Their jonin senseis went to the floor to collect the unconscious girls as Hayate announced a double knockout.

"Man, that was troublesome. I hope I don't have to face a girl" Shikamaru said, receiving some glares from Levy and Kurenai.

* * *

 _"Next match: Lucy Hyuga Heartfillia vs. Kankuro"_ the board announced.

 _'Heh, a little Leaf brat, this will be easy_ ' Kankuro thought to himself.

Lucy recalled the encounter in the forest with the Sand ninja. She began to tremble a little. Although he had not been the one she was afraid of at that time, he couldn't be much better. Neji then turned to Lucy. "You should just give up" He said to her as she receded even more into herself. He had also managed to catch Laxus's attention. "You are too weak to face him. I can tell just from looking at you."

"What the hell are you talking about Neji?!" Laxus shouted at Neji, ready to knock him out.

"I am only speaking the truth" Neji said.

"Big brother Neji?" Lucy looked at her cousin.

"Big brother?!" most of the people responded, looking to Kakashi for answers.

"Neji and Lucy aren't necessarily siblings, more like cousins. They belong to the Hyuga clan, one of the most prestigious families in the Leaf" Kakashi explained. "Lucy is a member of the main family while Neji is a member of the branch family. However, things have happened over the years, distancing the branches and Neji is only searching for some form of weakness in Lucy."

"Lucy, I will say it again. You are not a good shinobi. You should just forfeit. You don't want to dishonor the clan, do you? Dishonor the main branch?" Neji taunted as Laxus's blood began to boil.

"Lucy! Don't listen to this ass!" He shouted out, waking Mira and Evergreen .

"Even now, I can feel your sense of inferiority. You cannot win and you will only dishonor yourself and the main branch, now you don't want to do that. Oh wait, you already have. You cannot change and you will continue to be weak." Neji's words had a harsh sting to them as Lucy walked down the stairs to face her opponent.

"I wanted to change my self. But, is it true that I cannot?" she said to herself. She remembered the training sessions with her father and how he would always degrade her. Eventually, he shoved her aside for her sister, Wendy.

"Lucy" Neji had one more thing to say to her before her match began. "People cannot change themselves. I thought of you as a spoiled member of the main family, but the truth is that you are just an embarrassment!"

This really got Laxus's blood boiling as Kurama was debating whether or not to let a little of his chakra seep through the seal. He also wanted to shut this cynical man up badly.

"Lucy, I can see with my Byakugan that you do not want to fight. Deep down, you just want to run away and hide" Neji taunted more. Kankuro just smirked. This sibling rivalry was doing his work for him.

"Byakugan?" Evergreen asked, directing her question to Kakashi.

Kakashi answered her question "It's the advanced bloodline of the Hyuga. Kind of like Freed's Sharingan being the advanced bloodline of the Uchiha, although it surpasses the Sharingan in terms of visual insight alone."

Neji glared at her from the balcony, activating his Byakugan. He wasn't going to pass up this chance to embarrass and taunt a member of the main family. His only regret was that he wasn't the one facing her. "I can see you imagining your defeat" Neji said. "You cannot change that. You cannot change yourself…"

"Lucy! You can!" Laxus shouted out, having enough of Neji's bullshit. "He has no right to tell you what you are and aren't. Now kick this Sand guy's ass and stick it to Neji-bastard's face! I believe you can do it!"

 _'Laxus is cheering for me?'_ Lucy thought.

 _'Uhg, he really is annoying'_ Neji thought.

 _'Laxus, thank you'_ Lucy though as her doubts suddenly disappeared. Kankuro noticed this as well.

"Heh, looks like this brat wants to play" Kankuro smirked.

"Byakugan!" Lucy said, activating her blood limit. 'Thank you Laxus. I will show you that I can change'.

"Begin!" Hayate announced.

Lucy made the first move, charging at Kankuro, who was just standing there. She had her Byakugan locked onto him, but noticed that something was off. The chakra inside Kankuro was not normal. In fact, there was no charka source inside him, only chakra lines that seemed to go to that bundle on his back. She took a gamble and decided to attack the bundle instead of Kankuro. After a few first strikes, Kankuro retreated as the bundle unfurled itself to reveal another Kankuro.

"Damn" He said. "How did she notice that?"

Up in the stands, everyone looked on in shock. "What just happened?" Evergreen asked. Neji remained silent, but Lee spoke up.

"One of the specialties of the Byakugan is that it allows the user to see their opponent's chakra network" Lee said as Neji let out slight grin. "She must have seen something that caused her to attack the bundle instead of Kankuro."

"Fine, I'll play" Kankuro said, as the first Kankuro's skin began to peel away, revealing a puppet. He felt a slight pain in his shoulder, but shrugged it off. She charged at him again, only to be intercepted by the puppet, which was slashing at her with its blades. Thankfully, she managed to dodge. This dance between her and the puppet went on for a few minutes before Lucy noticed something. It was another puppet. Kankuro thought that he had her, but she dodged just in time. "How?! I thought I was in her blind spot, there should have been no way she saw me."

Up in the stands, Laxus smiled. Lucy was doing great and Neji had turned his back on the fight. "How did she see that? Even I think that should have gotten her" Freed questioned.

"Yes, but the Byakugan gives her the ability to see in a 360 degree arc around her" Lee explained.

"Wow, you know a lot about the Byakugan, Lee" Laxus explained.

"Yes, when your rival is also from the Hyuga clan, you must know about their abilities. It's just like Gai-sensei and the Sharingan" Lee explained.

Lucy was now facing two puppets and Kankuro. She had to do something quick as she was rapidly losing stamina. Focusing her Byakugan on Kankuro, she saw thin chakra threads coming out of his hands and attaching to the puppets. Deciding to go for it, she made a dash for one of the puppets, lashing out at the threads. She managed to sever three of the threads on one of the puppets; however, the other puppet landed a blow, creating a deep, but not life threatening gash in her left arm and side.

"Lucy!" Laxus shouted from the stands, becoming increasingly concerned for her.

"You see now, she will not win this" Neji said as the puppets landed another blow on her, sending her back into the wall and leaving a medium-sized puncture wound in her right side.

"Shut the fuck up, Neji. What do you know?" Laxus said.

"More than you think" Neji said, getting Laxus's attention. "Although she may be the heir of the main house, she is weak. Her father even pushed her aside to train her younger sister, who is a much better candidate to lead the clan. If she doesn't prove herself to her father by her sixteenth birthday, he will officially instate Wendy as the clan heir and she will be forced into a branch family, like me. That is her destiny and she must accept it."

"What sort of bull shit are you talking about?! What does destiny have to do with this?" Laxus asked.

"What do you mean by main and branch families?" Evergreen asked. Neji remained silent, but Lee spoke up.

"The Hyuga clan is composed of a main family that runs the clan. Lucy is a member of the main family. Neji on the other hand, is a member of the branch family" Lee explained as Neji remained silent. "However, from what I understand, the main family has made special rules in favor of them self and subjugating the branch families. Unfortunately, that has begun to create a rift in the family."

Their attention turned back to the fight. Lucy was trying desperately to evade the attacks, although she was beginning to tire. If something didn't happen soon, this fight would be over.

"Lucy!" Laxus shouted again. "Don't let these guys put you down. You're stronger than that!"

'Does he really believe that?' she thought to herself. She then thought back to the rest of the exam as Laxus had done nothing but support her the entire way. The least she could do right now was not to let him down. She began calling on the last reserves of her energy and made a dart towards the puppets. Demonstrating chakra control that could rival Evergreen, she increased her speed, flying past the puppets and towards Kankuro. Lucy landed two strikes on Kankuro's wrist, causing him to lose the ability to use chakra with his hands and also causing the chakra threads controlling his puppets to disappear. Two more strikes to the body caused his sides to go numb. Lucy made one last strike, aimed for his chest. After the final burst of chakra penetrated Kankuro, she disengaged, waiting to see the result of her attack.

Kankuro began coughing up blood, as her attack had managed to slightly damage the muscles around his heart. He collapsed to the ground, defeated. "Winner: Lucy Hyuga Heartfillia !" Hayate announced.

"Yeah! You did it Lucy!" Laxus said, jumping down to give her a big hug. Lucy began to turn red, although it was not because of Laxus. As Laxus let go of her, wondering what was wrong, she fell to her knees, panting heavily.

"Lucy!" Kurenai said. She checked the girl's temperatures and heart rate quickly, determining them to be elevated. "Those weapons? Poison?! We need a medic over here quick. I think she's been poisoned!"

Two medical ninja came over and placed her on a stretcher. "It looks like it's poison" one of them said, repeating exactly what Kurenai had just said. Laxus looked down at Lucy on the stretcher. "Laxus, do you think I changed?" She asked weakly, letting out a non-poison induced blush. "Did I show I can be strong?"

Laxus smiled. "Yeah, you were great Lucy" the blonde said as the two medics carried her off to treat her wounds and poison. Laxus sent a glare up to Neji, basically saying 'I told you she could do it'. Neji just shrugged it off.

* * *

"Yep. Girls can definitely be troublesome" Shikamaru said, looking up at the score board. "Damn."

 _"Next match: Shikamaru Nara vs. Kin Tsuchi"_ the board read.

"He can control the shadows, watch out for that" Kin's teammate Zaku said to her.

The two competitors proceeded to the floor. "Man, this is troublesome. I didn't want to have to fight a girl" Shikamaru said.

"Don't worry, I'll make it quick" Kin said.

"Begin!" Hayate announced.

"Hmm, I saw Dosu's ability, but I don't know what hers are" Shikamaru said. "Oh well, Shadow Possession Jutsu!" His shadow expanded out, towards Kin. She dodged his attack, flinging a few senbon towards her. Shikamaru dodged.

"Clink" bells attached to the senbon made, as they caught Shikamaru's attention.

"Heh. I know that trick. Next you'll throw one with a bell on it and one without a bell. My attention will be drawn to the bell, and you'll get me with the other needle" Shikamaru said, analyzing her strategy. _'I just need to avoid those needles'_

"Clink."

"What?! Behind?" Shikamaru said, turning around to see the same bells making the sound. _'String?_ ' Suddenly, Shikamaru saw Kin throwing two needles towards him. He couldn't dodge these, so he had to block.

Kin was about ready to throw a few more needles into Shikamaru, but found herself unable to move. "What?!" she said.

"Heh, shadow possession Jutsu is finally a success" Shikamaru said, analyzing Kin's facial expression. "You haven't noticed it yet? A string at that height doesn't make a shadow." Kin looked down to see two shadows coming off of her string and connecting to her shadow. "I can change the shape of my shadow. So I made it real skinny to make it look like the shadow of your string." Shikamaru then pulled a shuriken out and aimed it at Kin. Because of the Jutsu, she did the same thing to him.

"Are you crazy?!" she called out. "If you attack, we will both get hurt!"

"I know" Shikamaru said. "We'll just keep throwing shuriken to see how long we last. As the shuriken got really close to the competitors face, Shikamaru quickly bent backwards to dodge it, causing Kin to do the same. However, she slammed her head on the wall behind her, knocking her unconscious.

"Heh, one down" Shikamaru said, returning to an upright position. "If you're a shinobi, then you have to fight with knowledge of your surroundings. The distance to the wall behind you was what got you? I used the shuriken to keep you from noticing how close you were to it."

"Winner, Shikamaru!" Hayate announced.

"Yeah Shikamaru!" Mira cheered out. Kurenai returned to the stands.

"How is she?" Laxus asked, concerned for Lucy.

"She'll be fine. Thankfully the poison was a common type and they had the antidote here in the tower. They are just stitching her wounds up and she might even make it back to watch the final fights" Kurenai explained.

"Alright. It's good that Lucy will be alright, and even better that she won" Elfman said quietly. "Now, that leaves Me, Shino, Bickslow, Laxus, Neji, Lee, those two Sand ninja, all three Kumo ninja, that one green-haired waterfall ninja and her teammate."

Laxus turned back to the arena to see the next match up. "Yeah! About time!" Laxus said.

"Akamaru! We got so lucky!" Elfman said.

"Next match: Elfman Inuzuka Stratus vs. Laxus Dreyer" Hayate announced.

* * *

 **A/N: Another change in the match ups. I made Mira and Evergreen's match the same as Sakura and Ino because I felt that it played too much into Evergreen awakening her potential as a shinobi. Lucy and Neji don't face each other, but Neji still sees his chance to try and unnerve her. However, thanks to Laxus, she manages to regain her confidence and defeat Kankuro. As for Shikamaru's match...it would have been to troublesome to try and write a different match for him.**

 **Reviews and Comments greatly appreciated.**


	15. Jinchuriki battles

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or fairy tail and the first person to comment will be dedicated**

* * *

Laxus and Elfman stepped to the floor. "Yeah Akamaru! It's like we have already won" Elfman cheered.

"Shut the hell up! And don't bring your puppy here. He'll only get in the way" Laxus responded.

"Idiot, Akamaru's fighting with me" Elfman explained.

"Umm, is that even allowed?" Laxus asked the proctor.

"Yes, animals and insects are the same as ninja tools. They are allowed" Hayate explained.

"Hmph. Fine, you need the help anyways" Laxus said.

"Akamaru, you stay out of this. I can take Laxus on my own" Elfman said.

"Laxus! Don't lose to him!" Evergreen called out, returning the favor for him cheering for her.

'Sorry Kakashi, but he can't beat Elfman' Kurenai thought.

"I feel bad for you, so I'll end it with one punch" Elfman said, remembering Laxus's failures back in the academy.

"Ah, is that so? Then me to" Laxus responded.

"Stop acting tough" Elfman said.

 **"Hehe, this will be fun"** Kurama told Laxus.

 _'Wait, are you going to help me?'_ Laxus asked the Fox.

 **"Not physically. But I do know a trick or two that will help though. I'll tell you when the time is right."**

Laxus let out a little smirk. "Begin!" Hayate announced.

"Ninja Art of Beast Mimicry: All-Fours Jutsu!" Elfman called out as he began to grow claws and his appearance began slightly more canine in appearance. He charged at Laxus with unbelievable speed, sending Laxus flying back. "Proctor, he won't be opening his eyes for a little."

'Laxus?!' Mira and Chouji thought from the stands. Chouji had finally recovered from his battle with the sound ninja, although his hearing was still a little shaky.

Evergreen glanced over at Kakashi and Freed, who gave her a smile, reassuring her that Laxus wouldn't be defeated so easily. Both Evergreen and Freed knew Laxus could easily beat Elfman if he tapped into the Nine-Tail's chakra. However, with the Hokage and a bunch of high ranking ninja present, only an idiot would do that. Though, in their eyes, Laxus was an idiot.

"Elfman…Never underestimate me!" Laxus said, standing up.

"Laxus!" Evergreen called out. Although she normally wouldn't be so enthusiastic about Laxus, she wanted her teammate to win, plus she owed him for helping her face Mira. As for Freed, he wanted Laxus to win so that he might get a chance to fight him in the final round.

"Yosh, now that's the power of youth!" Lee called out as Gai nodded in agreement.

"Saying that as you bleed. I said to stop acting tough!" Elfman shouted out. Akamaru just barked along with Elfman.

"I let you hit me, to test your strength" Laxus said.

'I'm going to need to teach him how to do that without getting beat to a bloody pulp' Kakashi said, thinking of Laxus's specialty Jutsu.

"You should stop acting tough to. Use your dog, I'll beat both of you" Laxus grinned wiping the blood off his mouth.

"Grr, you'll regret that. Let's go Akamaru!" Elfman commanded as the two charged at Laxus . He threw a few smoke balls, making Laxus unable to see. As Laxus exited the cloud, Akamaru latched onto Laxus's arm.

"Yeah, way to go Akamaru!" Elfman said as he saw Akamaru sitting next to an unconscious Laxus .

"Laxus?!" Evergreen called out.

Akamaru returned to Elfman, but ended up biting his master's hand, surprising everyone. "A…Akamaru?" Elfman questioned, wondering why his best friend would suddenly do that to him.

"Grr…You fell for it" Akamaru said, disappearing in a puff of smoke, revealing that Laxus had used a transformation Jutsu. The unconscious Laxus stood up, holding an immobilized and wining Akamaru.

"No…That can't be Laxus . He managed to combine a transformation Jutsu AND a shadow clone?" Shikamaru said, shocked at Laxus surprisingly clever plan.

"Hmph, so you've gotten a little stronger. Well that doesn't matter. Time to get serious now" Elfman said, tossing a food pill to Akamaru. Suddenly, Akamaru's fur turned red and became a bit wilder. The re-energized Akamaru kicked the shadow clone, dispelling it and freeing himself. "Let's go Akamaru. Ninja Art of Beast Mimicry: All-Fours Jutsu!" Akamaru jumped onto Elfman's back and turned into a copy of Elfman. Their face had a feral appearance, similar to when Laxus was using Nine-Tails chakra.

Both of the Elfmans charged at Laxus with great speed. Laxus was only just able to dodge it, by jumping in the air. "Now! Fang over Fang!" Elfman called out as he and Akamaru spun rapidly towards Laxus. Laxus landed, coughing up a bit of blood in the process.

"That's the difference in our abilities" Elfman said.

"I can't lose here. I will become a great ninja!" Laxus exclaimed, forcing himself to his feet. Elfman laughed.

"You become a great ninja?! You're even weaker than me! If you want to become a great ninja, then I'll become a great ninja long before you." Elfman mocked Laxus s dream, big mistake. Now was time for Laxus to use his new Jutsu. He flung a small amount of shuriken at Elfman, who just laughed at Laxus's desperation.

"Ninja Art: Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Laxus called out as those few shuriken turned into nearly 100. Thanks to his speed, Elfman was able to dodge most of them, but he and Akamaru still got hit by a few. Fortunately for them, their wounds were only scratches

"Where did he learn that?" Asuma said, turning to a smiling Kakashi and Team 7.

"I might have showed them a thing or two" Kakashi replied.

"But that's an A-rank technique" Asuma replied.

"It may be, but it not when you can already use shadow clones. Because Laxus could use the shadow clone Jutsu, it was a C, maybe a low B rank in terms of difficulty to learn. Although he's still a long way from mastering it as the Hokage he can create roughly one thousand shuriken clones" Kakashi explained.

 _'Hmm, if he taught Laxus that technique, then I wonder what he taught the rest of his team'_ Asuma thought.

 **"Kit, the key to defeating dogs like this is to use their nose against them"** Kurama explained, finally giving Laxus that advice he promised. Laxus knew what the Fox was referring to and reached into his pouch to pull out two yellow smoke bombs.

 _'Please tell me those aren't…'_ Kakashi thought picking up on what Laxus was trying to hide.

Elfman and Akamaru charged at Laxus, hoping to pay him back for those shuriken. As they got close, Laxus took a deep breath and threw the smoke balls on the ground.

"Gahhh!" screamed Elfman. Both he and Akamaru, who had transformed back, were clutching their noses. Everyone's sweat dropped in the stands as Kakashi just let out a slight laugh.

"They don't call him the #1 unpredictable ninja for nothing" Kakashi said. Both Freed and Shikamaru had to admit that what Laxus just did was rather effective. "Given that he's a prankster, I've been wondering if Laxus carried any stink bombs on him."

 _'Right now, Elfman's sense of smell is 1000x more powerful than a human'_ Kurenai thought, actually impressed at what Laxus had done. Elfman and Akamaru were both rolling in pain, as Laxus's stink bombs ravaged their super sensitive sense of smell.

Laxus created two shadow clones to restrain Akamaru this time. He then created four more to knock Elfman into the air. The four clones sent Elfman into the air. The real Laxus then jumped above Elfman, kicking his head and slamming him into the ground. "Dragons Barrage!" Laxus called out.

 _'He took that move from Freed but at least he changed the name?'_ Kakashi thought, looking over at Freed, who let out a smirk.

"Winner: Laxus Dreyer!" Hayate called out.

"Hehe! Yeah, I won!" Laxus started cheering. At that time, Lucy re-entered the room and saw Elfman lying on the ground and Laxus celebrating. She came to the conclusion that Laxus and Elfman just had a match and that Laxus had emerged victorious. While she was happy that Laxus had won, she was sad that Elfman lost. Upon seeing her re-enter the room, Laxus ran over to Lucy, hugging her and celebrating. This time she fainted, much to Laxus's confusion. Kurenai came over and picked her up and carried her up to the balcony.

"Umm…is she going to be okay, Kurenai-sensei?" Laxus asked.

"Yeah, she's just tired that's all" Kurenai responded, letting out a slight chuckle, as they proceeded back the stands. "He still doesn't get it…"

"Laxus! That was an excellent display of youth!" Lee shouted. "I only hope my match is next so I can show everyone my youthful powers!"

Gai looked at his student and gave Lee his nice-guy pose, creeping out most of the people who saw that.

* * *

"Next match: Shino Aburame vs. Fu!" Hayate announced.

"Darn, I'll never get to go" Lee said as his spirits deflated.

"No worries Lee, you will get your chance" Gai said, reassuring his student.

"Alright Shino, go kick some butt!" Laxus shouted out. No one could understand how Laxus had even more energy after fighting, but this was Laxus.

Shino and Fu faced each other and the proctor announced to begin. Shino started by unleashing a few of his insects on Fu, testing out the waters of the battle. However, Fu's response was completely different than he had expected.

"B-b-b-bugs?!" Fu said, putting Lucy's stuttering to shame.

"Yes 'bugs'" Shino responded, almost insulted by Fu's calling his insects 'bugs'. "I am an Aburame and my family lives in symbiosis with these 'bugs'."

As Shino's insects crept closer, Fu backed away, almost as if she was afraid of them. Images began to flash through her mind, causing her to cower against the wall in fear.

"What's going on?" Shikamaru asked, confused by Fu's reaction.

"It looks like she has a severe case of entomophobia" Kurenai said.

"En-to-mo-phobia?" Laxus asked, spelling out the word. Evergreen sighed.

"It means fear of insects, you idiot" Evergreen responded.

"Get them away from me!" Fu called out as Shino's insects crept closer.

"Do you forfeit then?" he asked.

"Fu, remember the task the elder gave to us!" Fu's teammate called out. Her memories came to her.

*Flashback*

"For the past decade, our village has been seen as weak. The only reason we haven't been attacked is because of our secret location" a village elder said to Fu and her team. "However, for the first time in years, we finally have ninja who are ready to compete in Leaf's chunin exams. Please go and show that our village is still strong."

"We won't disappoint you, Lord Shibiki" the three Waterfall ninja said, bowing to their leader.

*End Flashback*

Fu, realizing what she promised, decided that today was the day to get over her fears. She stood up and faced Shino, indicating that she would not surrender. However, it was too late as Shino's bugs swarmed her, sucking her chakra, and Fu's screams resumed. Fu's teammate looked on with sadness at what his teammate was enduring. Suddenly, Shino's insects were repelled with a violent blast of chakra and Fu was on the floor crying out in pain.

To everyone's horror, red chakra began to bubble around her. Every high ranking ninja rushed to her. "I'm sorry, but I must do this for the safety of the ninja here" the Hokage said. "Five-pronged Seal!" he said, slamming his fingers into Fu's stomach. The red chakra receded, but everyone's expressions did not. Fu dropped to the ground unconscious.

"Lord Hokage" Shino asked. "What happen? Why did you interfere with my fight?"

"It is something I cannot talk about right now, Shino. However, I declare you the victor of this match" the Hokage said. "Just know that I had to do so for everyone's safety."

Evergreen and Freed turned their shocked expressions towards Laxus . "L-Laxus ? Are you alright?" Evergreen asked to a shaken Laxus.

"Yeah, just shocked that's all" Laxus said back to them. He then turned to Yugito, who shared the same expression of pain and sadness that Laxus had just displayed. Both of them looked up at Gajeel, only to feel his desire to kill someone now. Whoever was matched up against him had better be ready for a fight to the death.

 _'Kurama?'_ Laxus said to the Fox.

 **"Yeah, I saw and felt it to, Kit. She's one of us. Based on the chakra cloak, I would assume that Chomei, the Seven-tails, is sealed within her. However, for some reason, that appears to have manifested into a strong fear of bugs"** the demon fox replied.

Shikamaru noticed that Laxus 's expression was different from everyone else. "Laxus, do you know what's going on?" the lazy genius said.

"No" Laxus lied, not wanting to reveal everything right there in front of everyone. Shikamaru just shrugged it off, not wanting to put in the extra effort to question Laxus some more.

Kakashi at the same time looked at Laxus and even some of the reactions from his team. 'He knows. And based on the rest of the team's reactions, I suspect they are aware as well. I wonder what happened' Kakashi thought, knowing he would have to talk to his team once this was over.

Trying to move on, Hayate quickly announced the next match. "Yugito Nii vs. Kegon."

Yugito and the remaining Waterfall ninja stepped forward. Yugito took a look at Kegon, who was still shaken by the previous event. She knew the easy way to win this would be to let a bit of her demon chakra flare, as she and the two tails were on friendly terms with one another, but even Ibiki and Anko would see that as cruel.

"Begin!" Hayate called out.

"Fire Style: Flaming hellcats!" Yugito said as she unleashed two tiger-sized flaming cats on her opponent.

"Water style: Water Wave!" the still shaking Waterfall ninja called out, just getting the attack off in time, dousing the flaming cats. Despite being at an elemental disadvantage, Yugito could see her opponent faulting with his moves. All she had to do was keep the pressure up and he would eventually slip.

After a few minutes of battering the Waterfall ninja, Yugito unleashed her final attack. "Fiery Claws!" she said, swiping at her opponent with a flaming cat-like claw and sending him back against the wall with severe burns to his torso and arms.

"Winner: Yugito Nii!" Hayate announced. Her team cheered and Team 7 even joined in a little.

"Lee, now it will be your turn for sure!" Gai shouted.

"NO!" Lee replied, much to everyone's surprise. "It's come this far, so I might as well go last!"

Everyone looked at the score board in anticipation for the next match. Gajeel disappeared in a whirl of sand, appearing on the floor. "Get down here" he said, sending a death glare towards the Leaf ninja.

* * *

"Next Match: Gajeel vs. Rock Lee!" Hayate called out. Everyone, especially Team 7 was shocked at the matchup, and some of the other Leaf ninja saw their faces.

"Yosh! It fell for it!" Lee exclaimed. "If you don't want to go last, then say that you do want to go last!" Gai sent him a thumb up as he saw Team 7's worried faces.

"Haha, do not worry. Lee will win this for sure" Gai said.

Kakashi tapped Freed on the shoulder. "Activate your Sharingan and watch the fight with that". Freed instantly knew why Kakashi wanted him to do that.

Lee jumped down to face Gajeel. "To be able to face you this early…I could not be happier!" Lee said. The cork in Gajeel's gourd shot towards Lee, only to be caught. "Now don't get antsy."

"Begin!" Hayate announced.

'Lee, be careful' Gai thought observing the match.

"Spinning Leaf Whirlwind!" Lee shouted, launching a sweeping kick at Gajeel's head. The sand around Gajeel blocked it, much to Lee's surprise. The sand then lashed out at Lee, who flipped backwards to avoid it. Lee attacked again, only to be blocked by the sand.

Kankuro arrived next to Laxus , having been released from the medics after his loss to the 'little leaf brat'. "Heh, physical attacks are useless against Gajeel. Regardless of Gajeel's will, the sand acts on its own to protect Gajeel. That's why, up until now, no one has ever been able to put a single scratch on him." Laxus was shocked upon hearing those words.

"Gai-sensei, why is Lee only using taijutsu attacks at close range?" Evergreen asked, observing the battle. "Why doesn't he just use ninjutsu?"

"It's not that he doesn't use ninjutsu" Gai explained. "It's that he CAN'T use ninjutsu."

"What?!" Team 7 said in unison, although Freed was silent, his attention on Lee and the match.

"Lee has no skill for ninjutsu or genjutsu. In fact, he can't even conjure a single clone" Gai explained.

"B-but how did he get so far?" Evergreen asked.

"When I met him, he was a complete failure. The only techniques available to him were taijutsu. That's why he can win." Gai said, turning his attention to Lee. "Lee! Take them off!"

"But Gai-sensei, that's only for a time I must protect my precious people" Lee said.

"It's alright. I'll allow it this once" Gai said. A smile quickly worked its way onto Lee's face as he sat down to reveal a set of training weights underneath his leg warmers.

 _'Pfft, there is no way some measly weights will make a difference against Gajeel'_ Temari and Kankuro thought.

"Ahh, much better. Now I can move free" Lee said, dropping the weights from the top of the statue in the room.

"BOOM!" was heard when the weights made contact with the floor, creating large craters in the floor, startling everyone, and waking up poor Lucy. Everyone had to pick their jaws up off the floor.

"Isn't that a bit much Gai?" Kakashi said to the Blue-Beast of Leaf.

"Hehe" Gai said, letting out a smile. "Go Lee!"

"Yes!" Lee exclaimed, taking off with unimaginable speed. He appeared behind Gajeel, before anyone could see what was happening, everyone except Freed, who was following the fight with the Sharingan. Lee's attack was stopped just inches away from Gajeel's head, closer than anyone had gotten before.

"He can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu, so we focused all his time and effort on taijutsu" Gai explained. "Even if he can't do nin or genjutsu, he won't lose to anyone. He's a taijutsu specialist."

As Gai said that, Lee spun above Gajeel, lashing out his foot and kicking the back of Gajeel's head. Lee had just become the first person to land a blow on Gajeel.

"Heh, I warned you. Lee won't lose to anyone" Gai said. "That kid is strong."

"Now we are just getting started" Lee said, facing his opponent. Lee disappeared again using his speed. He landed a series of blows to the sand wall around Gajeel, confusing it until finally he made his move, throwing Gajeel into the floor with his next punch.

"What?!" Lee said as sand began to peel away from Gajeel's face. Suddenly a wave of killing intent shuddered throughout the room.

 _'Damn, ever since this chunin exam started, Gajeel's slowly been losing control'_ Kankuro thought to himself.

 **"This is getting bad Kit. I am even beginning to feel that damn raccoon trying to worm his way out"** Kurama said.

 _'What?!'_ Laxus yelled inside his head.

 **"It's true Laxus"** the two-tails said, coming into his head. Laxus had not noticed Yugito come behind him. **"I can feel the blood lust of that badger. Out of all of us, he was the most unstable. All he ever thought about was mindless killing. Unlike most of the Tailed Beasts, who tried to keep their distance from humans, the one-tails would just waltz up to the nearest village and destroy it. I guess you could say the one-tails is a true monster."**

 _'Shit, THIS Gajeel is awake'_ Kankuro thought. _'If he gets caught by this Gajeel, there's going to be nothing left of him besides blood soaked sand.'_

"What the hell is that?! How did he block Bushy-brows' attack with that?" Laxus said, coming out of his quick conversation with the Two tails.

"It's the armor of the sand." Kankuro said. A look of fear could be seen in his face by both Laxus and Yugito.

"Armor?" Laxus asked.

"Yeah, it's a thin layer of sand that covers Gajeel's body at his own will. It's different from his sand shield that acts on its own" Kankuro explained. "That's Gajeel's ultimate defense. There are no weaknesses."

 _'What do we do?'_ Laxus asked his demonic counterpart.

 **"For now, hope your friend doesn't get himself killed"** Kurama said. **"Only if that badger gets out of control will we step in. If worse comes to worse, the seal on Yugito and Matatabi has already been released and she can transform into her tailed beast."**

 _'Transform Into her tailed beast?!'_ Laxus said.

 **"Yes. For you, that is what happens when the chakra cloak you gain from me reaches nine tails. You effectively turn into me. Although, since you and I are on friendly terms with one another, you will not die and you would be able to revert back to your own form at will"** Kurama explained.

 **"That is the case with Yugito and I"** Matatabi said, creating a slight connection with Laxus so that she and Kurama could discuss the fight. **"You need to release that seal on you to complete your transformation beyond the chakra cloaks. However, my seal has been released already and the two of us work in conjunction with one another and she can even transform into my true form."**

 _'If I can transform into you, then I really am a demon!"_ Laxus began to cry.

 **"Haha. It's not like that, Kit. I'm the demon. You are human. However, because you and I are on good terms, I won't take control and try to destroy you. That's what happened with the Seven-tails, until the Hokage suppressed the chakra with that seal. The Seven-tails was trying to escape and would have destroyed that girl's body and mind. You and Yugito on the other hand would retain your minds and be able to transform back into your original body. You follow?"** Kurama explained some more.

 _'Err, sort of'_ Laxus said.

 **"That's good enough for now. Just remember that I am the demon and you are human. We are separate entities, but we work together, lending each other our powers. The same is true for Yugito, but not for the sand kid and that waterfall girl. If their beasts broke free, they would be dead and the demons inside them would go on a rampage."**

 _'Hmm, if Gajeel's forced to use the armor, then that means he's in a defensive pinch as it actually takes up chakra'_ Kankuro said to himself. _'That means that kid is actually pretty good.'_

"Is that all?" Gajeel asked Lee.

 _'What? If that sand is protecting him, then I must do some damage above the sand's reach…'_ Lee thought, coming up with a risky idea. _'The lotus'._ Lee looked up at Gai-sensei and got a nod of approval. He unwrapped the bandages on his arms.

"The lotus smashes down at high rates of speed" Gai said, catching everyone's attention. "That thin layer of sand is useless."

Lee then began to dart around Gajeel at high speeds, creating a vortex-like effect. Suddenly, Gajeel was kicked into the air, his altitude increasing with each of Lee's subsequent blows. Gajeel's ascension was too fast for the sand and Gajeel soon broke away from it. Lee then wrapped his bandages around Gajeel and began the downward spiral at an extremely high velocity.

'Even the primary lotus puts an extreme strain on the body. All of those kicks are extra dangerous as well' Gai worried. 'Please let it end with this!'

"Primary Lotus!" Lee shouted as the vortex collided with the ground, leaving a large crater with Gajeel lying in the middle. Lee had disengaged at just the right time and was standing, facing the crater; however, he was severely fatigued from the assault.

"Lee won!" Evergreen shouted.

"What?!" Both Gai and Lee said as they saw Gajeel's body crumble away, leaving a hollow shell of sand. "When did he switch?" Gai said.

"It was when you closed your eyes to pray Gai. Lee hesitated for a moment because of the pain and that's when he switched" Kakashi explained, catching it with his Sharingan.

"Hehe! This is turning out to be fun" Gajeel said sinisterly. "I am going to enjoy killing you!"

'The demon inside Gajeel has finally awakened' Kankuro thought.

Lee was thrown back into the wall by a wave of sand. He was barely standing after recovering himself.

"Why didn't he dodge it?" Evergreen asked.

"The primary lotus is a double edged sword. It's a forbidden technique that puts massive amounts of strain on the user's body and legs" Gai said.

"Right now, he's feeling so much pain that he can barely move, right Gai?" Kakashi asked as Gai nodded.

"Lee, don't forget, you are a genius of hard work!" Gai called out as Lee remembered his days just out of the academy.

"Thank you, Gai-sensei" Lee said, before a wave of sand fell on top of him. Lee moved out of the way. 'With that, I am revived.'

"Lee is smiling even though he's getting pushed around?" Evergreen asked. If anyone was as much into this battle as Gai, it was Evergreen.

"No, now the tables will turn" Gai said, confusing Evergreen a little. "The lotus of the leaf blooms twice."

"You are finished here" Gajeel said to Lee.

"This will end now!" Lee proclaimed.

'The lotus of the leaf blooms twice…' Kakashi thought on Gai's words. "Wait! No! You don't mean?!"

"Yes Kakashi, I do" Gai replied as everyone wanted to know what they were talking about.

"Then the eight inner gates?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes, he will open them" Gai said. "He has the ability."

"Even so, such a dangerous technique…" Kakashi tried to argue.

"The extreme lotus!" Gai said. "That kid has a precious thing he wants to prove. So I turned him into a man that could accomplish it."

"How many gates can the kid open?" Kakashi asked.

"Five" Gai said, astonishing Kakashi.

"Wait, what are these gates?" Evergreen said. Unlike everyone else, who was focused on the fight, Evergreen had managed to get caught in between Gai and Kakashi's conversation.

"Evergreen, the chakra coils of the body flow through eight inner gates that limit the flow of chakra through the body. They are the Gates of Opening, Healing, Life, Pain, Limit, View, Wonder, and finally Death, in that order" Kakashi explained. "The lotus forcibly releases these restraints. It increases your power tenfold, but destroys the body in the process. The initial lotus is done by opening the first gate."

"You release your brain's restraints with the first gate. Then you use the second gate to revitalize your stamina. After opening the third gate, you enter into the ultimate lotus" Gai explained.

"No way, the initial lotus does so much damage, does that mean?" Evergreen asked.

"Evergreen, after opening all the gates, for a short period of time, you will gain more strength than the Hokage, but you will most certainly die afterwards."

'Neji, Freed, and even Laxus, I will not lose here!' Lee thought. "Third gate, Gate of Life open!" Lee said as power began to surge out from him. Lee's skin turned red and his eyes turned white as everyone was now paying 150% attention to the fight. "Fourth gate, Gate of Pain open! Fifth gate, Gate of Limit open!"

"K-Kakashi, what is this?" Freed stammered out.

"The power of the eight inner gates" Kakashi told his student. "Freed, just know that this power is considered forbidden for a reason."

Before Gajeel even knew what was hitting him, he was hit multiple times, in the air, in rapid succession. His sand armor was being ripped off him by Lee's assault.

'Neji, this technique was going to be for defeating you. But I will show it here and now'. Gajeel was thrown into the floor, sending a massive shockwave echoing throughout the building. Some of the people present were afraid the arena was even going to collapse. With his bandages still wrapped around Gajeel, Lee reeled him in for one more blow. "This is it! Extreme Lotus!" Gajeel was slammed into the ground just as the pain became too much for Lee.

"No way! The ground turned to sand!" Gai said, utterly shocked that Gajeel had survived that.

The sand crept close to Lee, who couldn't move. It wrapped around Lee's left arm and leg. Gajeel clenches his fist as Shino and Lucy saw the horror that was about to come. "Desert Coffin!" The sand surrounding Lee's arm and leg imploded, crushing them. "Now, die!" Gajeel called out as more sand made its way to Lee. Suddenly, Gai jumped in the way, dispersing the sand.

"Why? Why did you save him?" Gajeel said, clutching his head as everyone looked onto Lee, saddened by the damage he had received. Some of them knew that Lee's career as a Shinobi was most likely over.

"Because, he is my beloved student and comrade" Gai responded. Gajeel got up and walked away, obviously in internal strife with the demon inside him.

* * *

"Winner, Gajeel" Hayate announced. To everyone's disbelief Lee stood up, unconscious and with a crushed arm and leg, not to mention having opened the five of the eight gates. Gai turned to Lee.

"Lee, you shouldn't be standing. The fight is over, I'm sorry" Gai said, realizing that Lee was actually unconscious. "Lee…you really have become a spectacular ninja" Gai cried as Lee collapsed into his sensei's arms. Laxus and Evergreen both rushed to Lee's side. Laxus sent a look of death, even managing to let a little of Kurama's chakra slip out, giving him the demonic eyes for just a moment. However, it was long enough for Gajeel to get Laxus's message.

"Medical team, please get here quick!" Hayate called as the stretchers were brought.

"You're his jonin instructor? Please come here for a second." one of the med-nins said to Gai. "There were torn mussels and broken bones throughout his entire body. We could do something about that if that wasn't the only problem. The damage sustained by his left arm and leg are severe. I'm sorry to say this, but he will never be able to live as a Shinobi again."

To say everyone who heard that was shocked to the core would be an understatement. Even inside Laxus, Kurama was beginning to release his anger. For the demon, that was probably the most entertaining battle he had seen in a long time, and he was truly rooting for Lee. What really enraged the Fox was the fate that Gajeel had left him with. The next time he and the One-tail met, heads and tails would be flying.

"No…it just can't be possible. It can't be over for Bushy-brows" Laxus started to tear up. "If that's so, then what is he supposed to do? He wanted to fight against Freed and Neji to prove himself, can't you do anything about it?!" Kakashi was doing everything he could to restrain the screaming boy as the medics carried Lee away.

To say everyone was shocked to the core by that match would be an understatement. Neji just looked at Lee. 'You never realized it Lee, the heavens will never allow a pawn who puts their own body at risk to advance…' he thought.

With most of the field trying to regroup, the last two matches were getting underway. Only Temari, Neji, and Omoi and Karui of cloud remained.

"Next match: Neji Hyuga vs. Karui"

"Heh, a Hyuga. This should be interesting" Karui said quietly.

* * *

 **A/N: So, there you go. Laxus's, Yugito's, Fu's, and Gajeel's matches and Fu will be brought back in a later chapter and more about her will be explained.**

 **Reviews and Comments greatly appreciated**


	16. End of the preliminaries

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or fairy tail and the first person to comment will be dedicated. Also thank you for the 2000 views**

* * *

Neji and Karui stepped forward to face each other. "Well, well. I haven't seen a Hyuga in a while. Tell me are they still so protective of their Byakugan? Or have they loosened up after realizing their mistake?"

"What mistake are you talking about?" Neji asked, curious as to how she seemed to be involved in some matter regarding the Hyuga.

"Begin!" Hayate announce, afraid another match would start off with a long discussion.

Karui dew her sword as Neji slipped into his Gentle Fist stance. Karui swiped at Neji, only for him to parry it and retaliate with his own attack, which Karui dodged.

"Heh, so I guess you really do want to know" Karui said, analyzing Neji's previous attack. "Think back, almost nine years. To the day that we came to your village to accept a peace treaty."

Neji's eyes widened. Even in the stands, Lucy heard this and was slightly affected.

"What are you talking about?" Neji replied.

"You don't know? On that night, you damn Hyuga killed my father because of their damn paranoia about someone 'stealing' their Byakugan!" Karui shouted. Neji soon let his shock leave him as he became more focused.

 **"Oh this is going to get good"** Kurama said to Laxus.

 _'What are you talking about?'_ Laxus asked.

 **"You can't sense that boys killing intent? Well I guess not, since it is being directed at that girl"**

 _'Wait, why would Neji want to kill that Cloud ninja?_ ' Laxus asked.

 **"I don't know. Just watch and maybe you'll find out."**

Karui felt Neji's killing intent and shuttered a little. "W-what is this?" she said.

"That night, that your father was killed" Neji said angrily. "You demanded the head of the Hyuga clan. However, the person who was killed by your father's action…was my father! You're father is just as responsible for my father's death as the head family is."

"What?!" Laxus said up in the stands. "Hey Lucy. You're a Hyuga, what are they talking about?"

Lucy sighed, hoping that this would not come up with the presence of Cloud ninja. "Nine years ago, when I had just turned three, that was the same day that the Cloud had come to The Leaf to sign a treaty to end the war that they had been fighting for years. That night, well…" Lucy said. "t-they kidnapped me. My father killed the kidnapper and the Cloud ninja demanded my father's life or they would renew the war."

Neji heard Lucy and directed some of his killing intent towards her as well. Laxus could feel it now. Gajeel had been feeling it ever since the match begun and his hunger for death grew even more, especially after being denied Lee.

"Like I said, the head family decided to use my father instead, because he and Lucy's father were identical twins, born only minutes apart" Neji said, emphasizing the 'head family' with a hint of anger mixed in. "However, fate has smiled upon me today. While I am not able to kill the men responsible for my father's death, one of their daughters has been chosen to face me and so I shall begin my…"

"Revenge…" Freed muttered, everyone now turning to him. "He wants to kill those responsible for his father's death, the same way I want to kill Itachi for killing my clan." Freed had the same type of anger and rage mixed into his voice that Neji had.

"What are you talking about you little punk?" Karui shouted to Neji. "You damn Hyuga killed my father!"

"They may have, but your father made the first move in trying to kidnap a member of the main family" Neji scoffed. "If it wasn't for your village's actions, my father would still be alive and you would not be destined to die at my hands today."

"Why you little…" Karui charged at Neji out of rage. Surprisingly, Neji was keeping his calm, despite the conversation that had just taken place. Karui drew her sword, ready to impale Neji for his insolence.

"Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation!" Neji called out, sending her flying back into the wall.

"That was…!" Lucy said, shocked at the move Neji had just used.

"What was that?" Ino said as everyone was also stupefied by Neji's defense.

"I-it the Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation, the Heavenly Spin. I-it's a Hyuga t-technique that has b-belonged to the m-main family" Lucy said.

"Wow! Does that mean you can use it, Lucy?!"Laxus said excitedly.

"N-no. M-my father has not e-even tried to t-teach it t-to me yet" Lucy replied.

"It's because she's a failure" Neji said, stopping his rotation.

"Shut the fuck up, Neji!" Laxus shouted, trying to defend Lucy. "No one asked you!"

"I'm just telling the truth" Neji said, facing Karui who had just been slammed into the wall, leaving a nice impact crater next to the one Lee had made in the previous match. Neji charged in, seeing the opening. He landed a few attacks on Karui's arms and legs as they went numb and she fell to her knees.

"What is up with those attacks?" Laxus said. "It's like Neji only touched her and she's already down."

"I-It's the Gentle Fist style" Lucy said. Like Gai in the last match, and Lee in Lucy's match, she had found herself as the commentator for this match. All eyes were now on her as she began to turn red and back away.

"Gentle fist?" Evergreen asked.

"Y-yes. It's the style of taijutsu passed down in the Hyuga clan" Lucy explained, taking a deep breath to calm her down. "We inject our own chakra into an opponent's chakra coils."

"Unlike the taijutsu style that Lee and I use, the Iron Fist, which focuses on dealing external damage and breaking bones, the Gentle Fist focuses on using chakra to attack and destroy an opponent's inner chakra coils" Gai said, returning to the fight as the medics would not allow him to go with Lee. "It may not look impressive, but you'll definitely feel it afterwards."

"What do you mean by, inner chakra coils?" Evergreen asked.

"Like veins that carry blood, chakra coils carry chakra throughout your body. These chakra coils are directly integrated into your body's internal organs, such as the heart and brain" Gai explained further.

"Wait, how can the Hyuga even do that?" Evergreen asked. "It's not like you can see the inner coils of the body."

"W-with normal eyes, n-no" Lucy said. Everyone had apparently forgotten about their resident Hyuga in the stands as she had managed to pull a Shino and disappear from everyone's attention when Gai took over. "B-but I can s-see them with the Byakugan." Everyone looked at Lucy's eyes and noticed that her chocolate brown eyes turned a lighter shade and saw the swollen veins around them and the outline of her pupil.

"Wow! Really?!" Laxus exclaimed. "You really are amazing!" Lucy blushed deeply at this.

"The gentle fist is different than normal attacks in that you release chakra from your palms and inject it directly into your opponent's body, damaging their inner coils" Kakashi explained, realizing that it was now going to be difficult for a bright red Lucy to say anything cohesively. "Throughout the chakra network, there are 361 pressure points, or Chakra points , that control the flow of chakra throughout the body. By injecting chakra into these Chakra points, the gentle fist allows the Hyuga to temporarily halt the flow of chakra through that point. Because of that, they possess the potential to cut off chakra from parts of your body, making it useless for their opponent to use or mold chakra in certain parts of the body, am I right Lucy?"

Lucy nodded and focused her Byakugan on Karui, who was still being beaten by Neji. He was going to enjoy this opportunity and prolong it as much as possible. "I-it look l-like s-she has no more chakra flowing i-into both her arms and legs."

"What?! Wow!" Laxus said.

 **"Hey Kit"** Kurama said from inside him, catching the blonde's attention.

 _"What is it?"_ Laxus said to his resident demon.

 **"Sometime soon, get together with that little vixen you've been talking to. I want to try out something that may allow you to reopen blocked chakra points"** Kurama said.

 _"Vixen?"_ Laxus asked, confused at Kurama's terminology.

 **"Yes, vixen. A female mate. I want you to get together with that Hyuga girl and train with her once or twice as I want to test something out."**

 _"M-mate?!"_ Laxus shouted, practically fainting inside his head.

 **"Damn you're so dense. Why did I get stuck with you."**

Back in the arena, Neji made a series of strikes, this time hitting Karui directly in the chest as Lucy cringed a little. "What is it, Lucy?" Evergreen said.

"T-those l-last s-strike hit her heart and the chakra network around it" Lucy stuttered out.

"What?! Then that means he really does mean to kill her?!" Evergreen said.

Neji backed away, analyzing the damage done. Karui fell forward onto her hands and knees, coughing up a lot of blood. Soon after, she collapsed.

"Winner: Neji Hyuga!" Hayate said, checking the damage done to Karui. Neji looked up into the stands, sending a rather evil grin towards Lucy, making her step back and fall. "Get a medic in here quick. She's going into cardiac arrest!"

Most of the genin in the stands shuttered at the call from the proctor. A few medics came in and began initial treatment, before taking her away for further attempts at stabilizing her. Neji walked back up the stairs, sending another look to a shaking Lucy .

"Stop that Neji!" Laxus shouted. "Why must you pick on Lucy like that? What has she done to you?"

"It's not what she did, it's what her father did" Neji said, sending the same look to her that he did to Karui before beating her to death.

"Neji, enough!" Gai said, apologizing to Kurenai and Lucy for his student's behavior. Neji just turned and walked away. Most likely, Gai had just saved Lucy from a rogue strike to her chest as well.

"For the final match, will the remaining three contestants please take the floor" Hayate announced. Temari, Bickslow, and Omoi stepped forward.

To say the match was quick and one sided would be an understatement. Wanting to end it quickly, Temari opened her fan to the third star and hit Omoi and Bickslow with her Wind style: Wind Scythe Jutsu. The two were unconscious before he even had a chance to attack.

"Alright, (cough) now that the matches are over, will the contestants who have advanced please step forward?" Hayate announced as the jonin instructors and the Hokage returned to the stage, which had been half destroyed thanks to Lee's weights. The following finalists took the floor, out of the 200 that started the exam, only 11 had made it to the 3rd round. This was still more than Anko had anticipated, but it was better than the 23 that remained before the preliminary.

"Congratulations on making it to the third round" the Hokage announced. "I guess it is time to start explaining the third round."

"Lord Orochimaru" Kabuto said, appearing before Orochimaru. "The prelims have ended and the third round is set to begin in one month."

"Good. I look forward to those matches, especially Freed's" the snake grinned.

"Lord Orochimaru, regarding Freed?" Kabuto asked. "It appears as if you were going to give his the curse mark, but he had no mark, did The Leaf find a way to remove it?"

"No" Orochimaru hissed. "My plans hit an unexpected bump, and Freed never received my gift. However, it is only a minor setback and I will have my hands on him soon enough."

"As I said before, the matches of the main event will be seen by everyone" the Hokage announced. "Each of you will fight to represent the strengths of your country and I would like you to fight with all your reserves. That is why the final event will be held a month from now."

"What? We are not going to do it now?" Laxus asked.

"No. You could say I'm giving you a month for preparations. Unlike today's battles, where you faced an unknown opponent, you will know your opponents and you will be given time to prepare accordingly" the Hokage explained. "Use this month to rest and train accordingly. I'd like to dismiss you now, but first we must decide the match ups for the next round."

"What the hell is it?!" Laxus shouted impatiently. "I've got to train for the next round!"

"Inside this box are numbers" Anko explained. "Now, each of you will take a number and this will determine the match ups for the next round." Anko passed the box around and everyone selected their numbers.

"Alright, now read off in order your numbers and I will make the bracket" Ibiki explained.

"One" Neji said.

"Two" Laxus said.

"Three" Lucy said.

"Four" Shino read off.

"Five" Cana read.

"Six" Yugito said.

"Seven" Freed said.

"Eight" Gajeel read, glaring over at Freed, who returned the look.

"Nine" Temari said.

"Ten" Shikamaru yawned.

"Eleven" Dosu said.

Ibiki thought for a second after writing the numbers and made up the bracket. "Here are the first matches: Neji Hyuga vs. Laxus Dreyer, Lucy Hyuga Heartfillia vs. Shino Aburame, Cana Yuki Alberona vs. Yugito Nii, Freed Uchiha Justine vs. Gajeel Redfox, Shikamaru Nara vs. Dosu, and Temari will face the winner of the last match. As you can see, there are three separate brackets, with each one having its own winner. The final match will consist of all three victors facing off in a three-way match to determine the overall winner."

Freed was definitely satisfied with his match up. A month of nothing but training would give him plenty of time to become stronger. Laxus was finally going to be able to pay Neji back for insulting Lucy and maybe even do something about that stick lodged up his ass. Being on the same team, Lucy and Shino quickly made an agreement to respect each other and not hold back in their coming fight. Cana and Yugito were both neutral about their match. They really had nothing to truly prove besides their own abilities. Shikamaru just saw everything as troublesome, Temari was indifferent, and Dosu wanted to prove to Orochimaru that he wasn't a guinea pig.

"You are all dismissed now, unless you have any questions" the Hokage announced.

"I have one" Shikamaru said. "Since this is a tournament and there is only one winner, does that mean only one person will be promoted to chunin?"

"No. Throughout the tournament, there will be judges judging your abilities. It is possible to become a chunin even if you lose your first match. Likewise, there is a chance that the victor could remain a genin" the Hokage explained.

"So, there is a possibility that everyone here will become a chunin?" Temari asked.

"Yes" the Hokage responded. "Although, think of it this way. The more matched you fight, the more chances you have to convince the judges that you have the skills to become chunin. Thank you all for your efforts in the second exam. You are all dismissed until one month from now."

* * *

"Alright, back in the village!" Laxus said, arriving at the village after the teams were escorted out of the forest. Teams 7, 8, and 10 were walking together. "Who wants to get ramen?!"

"Geez, is that all you ever think about?" Evergreen said. Although she heard her stomach growling and figured so real food for the first time in five days would be nice.

"I have a better idea" Asuma suggests. "How about Barbe-Q?" Chouji quickly became excited. "Why don't we enjoy this night together to celebrate the six of you who have moved onto the third round, before you all begin your training tomorrow?" Everyone liked the idea, except Laxus who still had ramen on the brain, and they quickly found themselves at the favorite restaurant of Team 10.

* * *

Afterwards, the rookie 10 and Cana went their separate ways. Lucy ended up back at the Hyuga compound and thankfully for her, Neji wasn't anywhere in sight.

"Lucy, I heard you made it into the finals" Hiashi said, appearing from their home.

"Y-yes, father. I-I have" Lucy said, giving a quick bow to her father and hoping for some sort of acknowledgement.

* * *

"Very well, be in the dojo tomorrow no later than 8:00am. We begin your training" Hiashi said in an emotionless tone. This was not the sort of acknowledgement that she had hoped to receive from her father; however, the fact that he was going to train her for the finals had to mean something.

Laxus was up early the next morning getting the ramen that he never got last night from Ichiraku. Kakashi then walked inside. "Hey, hey! Kakashi-sensei, I have a request."

"No need to tell me, I already know what you're going to ask" Kakashi said. "I already found someone to supervise your training."

"What?!" Laxus shouted, waking half the still asleep village. "But I want you!"

"I'm sorry, Laxus " Kakashi apologized. "But I have more important things I need to take care of."

"Hmph, you're just planning to train Freed" Laxus said, seeing right through Kakashi.

"Now, now, don't say it like that. Besides I've found you a much more reliable teacher" Kakashi explained.

"Yeah?! Like who?" Laxus questioned.

"Me" a new man said, coming onto the scene.

"It's you!" Laxus shouted and pointed at the man. "The closet perv!"

"Ebisu-sensei's a closet perv?" Kakashi questioned Laxus's last comment.

"Why the hell does he have to be my teacher?! He's weaker than me in the first place!" Laxus explained. "I beat this guy before with my harem Jutsu!" Suddenly, Ebisu covered Laxus's mouth to prevent any more words from coming out.

"Harem Jutsu?" Kakashi asked, now seriously confused.

"It's nothing, really!" Ebisu said, trying to dispel any suspicion. He turned to Laxus. "I'll treat you to all-you-can-eat ramen later on."

"You better!" Laxus responded.

 **"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"** Kurama said as Laxus agreed with the demon.

* * *

"Cana" Zabuza said, appearing at Cana's apartment.

"Yes, Lord Zabuza" Cana responded to her former master.

"So you made it to the chunin exams, not bad" Zabuza said. "Although you don't really need it, I'll be supervising your training over the next few weeks. I feel like some of these kids are going to be a real handful."

"Yes, I would much appreciate that" Cana said politely. With that, Cana had her teacher for the next few weeks.

* * *

"Good, you're here" Hiashi said, entering the dojo to find Lucy already there. "Let's begin, shall we?"

"What are we doing, father?" Lucy asked.

"We are beginning your training. I can't have you embarrassing the Hyuga main branch in front of some very important individuals" Hiashi said, depressing Lucy with his comment. "We need to work on your speed and accuracy, plus we need to strengthen your Byakugan so that you can effectively see Chakra points in battle."

"Yes, father. Where are we starting then?" Lucy asked. "First, you are not to deactivate your Byakugan during these training sessions for any reason. This will help initially to strengthen it. We will begin working on your accuracy and then your speed. Finally, we will incorporate those with your Byakugan. Just so you know, I expect you to be able to use our family's signature stance for the finals."

Lucy knew what this meant. He would be hammering the eight trigrams stance into her head these next few weeks.

* * *

Shikamaru woke up, after his alarm had been going off for the past three hours. It really was a troublesome instrument that he had to deal with each morning.

"I'm surprised you're up this early" Shikaku, Shikamaru's father, said to him. "Usually you sleep in an extra hour or two."

"Well, you know. Asuma-sensei wants me to train for the upcoming match" Shikamaru explained. "It really is troublesome."

* * *

 _'Hmm, so my opponent is Lucy '_ Shino thought, meeting his father outside the courtyard of their house. _'We both know each other's moves rather well, so it will come up to whoever puts in the most work over these next four weeks'._

"Son, are you okay with this? I mean she is your teammate" asked Shibiki, Shino's father.

"I am. We promised each other that we would work hard these next weeks and fight our hardest when our match came. To be honest, I am looking forward to it" Shino said, letting out more words than he usually does.

* * *

Kakashi was climbing a rather high cliff, with one hand tied behind his back. _'Damn it guy I shouldn't of accepted your stupid challenge.'_ Was what he was thinking. Suddenly, his feet slipped and he barely caught himself from falling. Seeing the top, he knew he was almost there. "Gate of Opening, open!" Kakashi said, giving himself a boost of energy and reaching the top. "Oh, you're here already."

"No, you're just late, as usual" Freed said, standing opposite him atop the towering plateau.

"Right then, let's get started" Kakashi said. "I'm sure you remember Lee's taijutsu from using your Sharingan?"

"I do, but what does that have to do with this?" asked Freed.

"Well, Lee had the right idea. You will need an extreme amount of speed if you are to defeat Gajeel , and to learn what I am going to teach you."

"Go on…" said Freed.

"You know, the reason I want to train you, is that…" Kakashi said, handing Freed a piece of paper. Freed knew what this paper was. It was chakra litmus paper, used to determine the elemental affinity of ninja. Kakashi channeled chakra into his and it crinkled. Freed did the same and received the same result. "You are the same type as me." Kakashi formed the Chidori in his hand and Freed let out a smile. This was going to be interesting.

* * *

 **A/N: So that is it for the preliminaries. For those of you wondering Bickslow would have nocked out by Temari because his techniques do need some time to be used. Also a reminder the poll will end at the end of this arc. Also if your curious on how everyone looks go to my deviant page animemaniac1010. Reviews and Comments are greatly appreciated.**


	17. Chunin Exans Training

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or fairy tail and the first person to comment will be dedicated**

* * *

"Why did we come to this place?" Laxus said. "Are we going to take a bath before we start training?"

"No, we are here to train" said Ebisu. "In fact, you see that water over there; this is called the water walking exercise. We are going to use that to work on your basic chakra control." Ebisu demonstrated by gathering some chakra into his feet and took a few steps onto the water.

 _'You have got to be kidding me. I already did that damn chakra control exercise'_ Laxus thought to himself.

 **"Like I said, I have a bad feeling that this guy is going to be completely useless"** Kurama joked.

 _'Meh, let's see what he says when I get it first go'_ replied Laxus.

Laxus quickly gathered chakra in his feet and then proceeded to take a few steps out, balancing himself perfectly.

"You see? Now that wasn't so bad. I must have finally gotten through to you or something" bragged Ebisu.

"No…I've already done this damn training with Kakashi-sensei!" shouted Laxus. "Now teach me something useful!"

"Ehehehe" said a man with long white hair who was peeping through a hole in the woman's bathing area. Ebisu noticed the man and challenged him for peeping on the innocent girls.

"I don't know who you are but…I will not forgive such shameless behavior!" said a charging Ebisu.

"Huh?" said the man, who turned around and proceeded to summon a toad, twice the size as him. Before Ebisu could react, the toad wrapped it's tongue around Ebisu and flung him half way across the hot-spring that they were training at. "Keep it quiet. What are you going to do if I get caught?" Ebisu was on the ground unconscious.

 _'Closet perv is unconscious? Who is this open perv?'_ thought Laxus .

 **"Well that was embarrassing"** responded Kurama.

 _'He's totally knocked out. I knew this guy was a weakling'_ Laxus thought, the Fox agreeing to every word.

"Damn it Kakashi-sensei you just had to give me a totally useless teacher didn't you!" Laxus shouted in anger "stupid sensei giving me a useless teacher while playing favorites.". That had gotten the mysterious pervert's attention.

"Hey kid are you okay?" the Pervert said Laxus noticed there was worry and a hint of understanding in his eyes.

"tch why do you care, who are you anyway?" Laxus said confused on why the man cared.

 _'probably would be best to not use my normal introduction'_ Jiraiya thought. "My name is Jiraiya and believe it or not the same thing happened with me when I was a genin."

"Then what the hell is up with you going and knocking out my current teacher?!" Laxus yelled.

"It's because he got in the way of my work" Jiraiya said. "I'm a writer working on a novel." Jiraiya pulled out a book from his robe that read 'Icha Icha Paradise'.

"Gahh, I know that book" shouted Laxus, remembering Kakashi sensei.

"Oh, so you know? I must be getting pretty famous" smirked Jiraiya.

"That's a nasty book!" screamed Laxus. "And what the hell do you mean by work?! All you were doing was peeping on those women, you pervert!"

"You fool! I'm not just a pervert!" responded Jiraiya. "Peeping gives me inspiration for my writing."

"You liar, what a lame excuse!" said Laxus with a clenched fist. "Now what the hell are you going to do about my training?!"

"I'll look over your training, just do what you were doing before" Jiraiya said. Laxus walked onto the water, doing the exercise perfectly.

"If you can already do that? Then why were you training with that in the first place?" Jiraiya asked.

"Because the closet perv is an idiot" said Laxus with the Fox nodding his head.

"Tell you what. Go take a bath and relax for a little bit. Afterwards, I'll work on teaching you something" Jiraiya said.

"Yeah, yeah. You just want to peep for a little longer" stated Laxus.

"No really, you look really tense and it will help with the training" explained Jiraiya. As Laxus got into the hot spring near them, Jiraiya noticed the seal on Laxus's stomach. _'Just as I thought. It's about time I teach him to control the Nine-tail's chakra.'_

* * *

About an hour later, Laxus met up with Jiraiya to begin his training. "Alright kid. First, there is something I need you to understand. You have two types of chakra. Have you ever felt a special type of chakra?" Jiraiya looked over at the collapsed Ebisu. "Errm. Maybe we should take this guy in First."

 **"…Really?"** Now the Fox was getting frustrated after that pointless day.

* * *

Gajeel was sleeping on top of a large statue in the outskirts of Konoha. "You sure got me, don't you sleep?" said Dosu, failing to sneak up on Gajeel.

"What do you want?" said Gajeel, with an irritated tone.

"Well, I was going to kill you as you slept, but since you're awake, we can fight right here. I'll defeat you and have a higher chance of fighting Freed" claimed Dosu. "I know about your sand attacks. I wonder if its faster than my sound."

"'Shukaku gets blood thirsty during the full moon" Gajeel said mysteriously. Gajeel transformed into a large figure, shaking Dosu to the core.

"W-what are y-you?!" Those were Dosu's last words as a gigantic sand arm slammed down on top of him, killing him.

* * *

Laxus was fast asleep. The previous day had been rather stressful and he needed the rest. Jiraiya was on a building overlooking Laxus's apartment when Ebisu approached him.

"I'm sorry for taking your pupil, Ebisu" said Jiraiya.

"Don't worry. I was just surprised…that's all" explained Ebisu. "Lord Hokage been looking for you a long time without even a trace. It's just surprising that you showed up in the village like this. So you're here because of Orochimaru?"

"No" stated Jiraiya. "I just came here to work on my novels. I'm the type that doesn't stick his neck into other's troubles."

"But you must understand" said Ebisu. "Against one of the Sanin, another Sanin is needed. We need you Lord Jiraiya!"

* * *

Two figures were observing Gajeel's killing of Dosu. "Wow, so that is what his true identity is" one of the figures said.

"Yes, but he was a Sound ninja, are you sure?" Baki, the Suna team's instructor said.

"It's fine, he was no longer useful" said Kabuto, revealing himself to be a Sound ninja. "Besides, there is no need for that anymore. My true identity has already been discovered."

"Then, if they find you with me, our plans to crush the Leaf will be ruined" Baki stated.

"Well, to be accurate, they didn't uncover my identity" stated Kabuto. "I revealed myself."

"I wanted to see how the Leaf would react. Taking Freed afterwards should not be too much of a problem" said Kabuto.

"Fine, but if it appears you are failing, then we will withdraw" said Baki. "The Sand will stay in the background until the very end. That is Lord Kazekage's will."

 _'How can this be?'_ A jonin named Gisei shichiya thought, hiding behind a pillar.

Kabuto handed Baki a scroll. "Here are our plans. Also, it is about time THEY know."

 _'Our ally, the Sand, connected with the sound?'_ thought Gisei _. 'I must inform the Hokage.'_

"One more thing. I'll take care of our little rat" said Kabuto. Gisei shichiya knew he had been noticed and took off.

"No, leave him to me. As a partner of the Sound, I should do something" Baki said, taking off to catch Gisei.

"Sir, what are you doing here?" Baki questioned.

"Looks like there is no other choice but to fight" Gisei said. "Dance of the moon piercer!" Gisei shichiya drew his sword and tried to pierce Baki several times creating the afterimages associated with the move. However, his attack only dug about an inch into Baki's shoulder pad.

"Hmm, the Leaf Style, Dance of the Moon" said Baki. "Impressive, to master it at such a young age. However, an actual blade can be stopped. But a blade of wind cannot." Gisei was torn at by numerous wind blades. Shortly after, he lay on the building top, dead.

* * *

"Alright kid, I'm going to make a technique that will utilize your two types of chakra. You remember our talk from yesterday, right?" asked Jiraiya.

"Yeah" Laxus said.

"Alright, then try and release that special chakra right now" Jiraiya said.

 **"Ugh, it's like he wants me to just sit on command"** Kurama said.

 _'Yeah, yeah. You know what to do'_ thought Laxus back to his tenant.

Suddenly, Jiraiya was thrown back by a burst of the Nine-tail's chakra coming from Laxus . _'Wow! He was able to release it like that?'_ thought a surprised Jiraiya. "Hmm, well this could be interesting."

"Well, it seems like you already know about that chakra source" said Jiraiya to Laxus .

"Yeah. I know" replied Laxus . "Does that mean you know about Fuzzball too?"

 **"…Fuzzball? Really?"** replied the Fox, annoyed at Laxus's comment.

 _'It's not like I could just say out loud that you are inside of me. I have to keep it somewhat discrete'_ thought Laxus back to his demon inhabitant.

Jiraiya nodded. "Let me ask you, how do you know about the Nine-tail?"

"Well, we kind of met back during this mission to the Land of Waves. He's really not that bad once you get to know him" explained Laxus .

"WHAT?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN NOT THAT BAD?! HE's THE DEMON FOX THAT ATTACKED OUR VILLAGE!" shouted Jiraiya, trying to catch his breath.

"It was really all a big misunderstanding" said Laxus . "He didn't want to attack the village, but was forced by some sort of powerful genjutsu."

"Powerfull genjutsu?..." Jiraiya thought for a minute. "The only one in history who had the power to control the Nine-tail was Madara Uchiha, and he's dead."

"Well, apparently he came back that night and attacked the village. The fox told me something about a guy in a mask controlling him with a chakra that felt like that Madara guy" said Laxus .

 _'Hmm. Then what my informant told me might just be true. This is something I'm going to have to look into'_ Jiraiya thought.

"Alright kid. I'll bite. Just let me make sure that your seal is still secure. The last thing we want is the Fox getting free because of your carelessness and wrecking the entire village" said Jiraiya. Laxus made the seal visible on his stomach and Jiraiya took a detailed look at it. It seemed to check out, but he would be keeping a close eye on it for the time being.

 **"Hmm. It seems like he doesn't fully trust me"** stated Kurama

 _'No shit. He thinks you are a blood thirsty demon who purposely attacked the village'_ Laxus said.

 **"Now I feel insulted. I would normally just leave him to his err…research, but he might know something about the key. Let's just play it quiet for a little.** "

"So I guess you know then that the Nine-tail's chakra mixes with your own, giving you a massive chakra reserve?" asked Jiraiya. Laxus just nodded.

"Now I am going to teach you a technique that will make use of that massive chakra source that you have" he explained. "There are a lot of techniques that are perfect for you that require a lot of power, like this summoning jutsu I want to teach you."

"Summoning jutsu?" Laxus asked.

"Yeah. You sign a contract in blood with various life forms and call them forth with ninjutsu when needed" explained Jiraiya. "It's a type of space-time ninjutsu."

 _'Is this summoning contract like what you and I signed?'_ said Laxus to Kurama.

" **No. Our contract was different. I'll explain it to you a different day. Focus on the summoning contract as it could actually prove useful. If this contract is with toads, then I know the potential behind it. Let's just say my back is stills sore from this giant toad landing on top of me when I was out last"** explained Kurama.

 _'Giant Toad?!_ ' thought Laxus , now really excited.

"Ohh, sounds awesome! Teach me, teach me!" jumped a joyous Laxus.

"First you have to use up all your chakra, so we can have access to that second type of chakra, the Nine-tail's" explained Jiraiya.

"Heh. I can tap into the Nine-tail's chakra whenever I want" said Laxus .

"Wait…WHAT?!" shouted Jiraiya. Laxus sighed. He felt like he should make a recording of this so he wouldn't have to repeat himself. Laxus told Jiraiya everything that had transpired between him and the Fox, back in the land of waves. Jiraiya was dumbfounded. He never expected the Nine-tail to be one to cooperate with its host. "Okay kid, just tell me, who else knows about this?"

"Just my teammates, Freed, Evergreen, and Bickslow" Laxus said. "I had to use the Nine-tail's power to protect them from this snake freak…Orochimaru, I think."

' _Hmm, so Orochimaru is up to no good'_ Jiraiya thought.

"However, I can't use it all the time. The more chakra I have to pull from him, the more it stresses my body" Laxus explained.

"That makes sense. Just promise me to be extremely careful when using it. There are some people in this village who will try and take advantage of you if they know you have control of the Fox's chakra" explained Jiraiya.

"Well, that is with the Fox's chakra cloak. Is it okay if I just use small bursts of his chakra?" asked Laxus. Jiraiya thought for a little. He knew that in order to use this summoning jutsu, Laxus would have to tap into the Fox's chakra.

"Small busts, as long as you don't prolong the presence of excess demon chakra in your system or take on that Fox cloak you were talking about" explained Jiraiya.

"Gotcha, now can we get back to that summoning jutsu?" asked Laxus impatiently.

"Alright, now watch closely" said Jiraiya. He bit his finger, drawing a bit of blood and making a few hand seals. "Summoning Jutsu!" The frog from yesterday appeared beneath Jiraiya, with Jiraiya on its head.

"Oh! That's from yesterday!" shouted Laxus. The frog handed him a scroll that was in his mouth. Laxus laid it down and unfurled it, revealing the contract.

"This is the Toad contract that has been passed down many generations. Write your name in blood and then press down your finger-prints in blood" explained Jiraiya. "Then focus chakra in the hand you signed the contract with and press it downward. The hand seals are Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Sheep."

"Alright like this?" Laxus asked. Jiraiya nodded and Laxus went through the hand seals. "Summoning Jutsu!"

"Yo kid, you got any snacks?" said a small orange toad.

"It talks?!" shouted Laxus , pointing at the talking toad.

"Oh? Gamakicki. I didn't expect him to summon you here" said Jiraiya. He then let out a little laugh. "I was expecting the kid to summon a tadpole or something." Gamakichi laughed along with Jiraiya and so was the Fox. Laxus just stood there, slightly frustrated.

Jiraiya explained to Gamackichi that he had chosen Laxus to be the next Toad summoner. Soon after, Gamakichi left, returning back to Mt. Myoboku. The rest of the morning, Laxus spent trying to get a feel for how much chakra to put into the summoning, summoning Gamakichi at least two more times, who was becoming increasingly irritated at these constant summoning. Thankfully, Jiraiya had a few snacks on him to keep the small toad cooperating. "Alright Laxus, try putting a little more chakra into it" instructed Jiraiya. Laxus forced some more of his own chakra into the summon. By the end of the day, he had managed to summon the same toad that Jiraiya had managed to summon to attack the closet perv.

 _"Hmm…I wonder…"_ thought Jiraiya. "Hey Laxus , how much longer do you have until the finals?"

"Huh? Oh, just over three weeks, why?" replied Laxus .

'Maybe he can do it. He was able to do pretty well on the Toad summoning' thought Jiraiya. "Are you up for a challenge? Do you want to learn a cool jutsu?"

"Huh? Cool jutsu?" It only took a few seconds for Laxus's brain to connect the dots. "Cool Jutsu?! Teach me!"

"Jeez, calm down kid" said Jiraiya, trying to restrain the jumping boy. He didn't understand how this kid still had energy from an entire day of summoning. "Alright, just watch closely now." Jiraiya held out his palm and focused chakra into it. A blue orb of spiraling chakra began to form as Laxus's eyes widened.

Turning to a tree, Jiraiya took the orb and slammed it into the trunk. The orb shredded the tree upon contact, leaving a splintered stump in its place. "Wow!" was all Laxus could get out.

 **"Hmm…I take that back. Maybe this guy isn't so useless after all"** the Fox admitted for once.

"What was that?" asked Laxus, now more excited than ever.

"That Laxus, was one of the Fourth Hokage's original jutsu" explained Jiraiya. "It's called the Rasengan. Just so you know, in terms of difficulty, this jutsu is a high A-rank."

"All right! Watch me! I'll have that thing mastered by tomorrow!" claimed Laxus .

"Kid, this jutsu…it took the Fourth three years to develop. It took me a month after he taught it to me. I told you this was going to be a challenge" said Jiraiya. "I'll be surprised if you have it down within a few months and it will take a miracle for anyone to get it down in a month, let alone in time for the finals."

"Hmph, then I'll have it down by the finals! Believe it!" he declared. Suddenly, Laxus felt weak as his legs collapsed and he fell to the ground. It was about time he passed out after expending so much chakra.

"Ha I was wondering when he would pass out due to exhaustion." Jiraiya said amused "Well I guess I should be taking you home soon huh kid." as he picked the kid up. He was light too light, maybe a few extra trips to the ramen stands may be in order. somewhere part of the way back to his house He squirmed and groaned and yelled like he was being beaten, after a minute he began whispering desperately. "stop, please stop, it-it hurts please."

"Oh kami, what did they do to you kid." Jiraiya asked sadly

* * *

 **Well there's chapter 17, hope you enjoyed it. The reason why Laxus reacted the he did to ebisu being knocked out is because unlike Naruto Laxus realized that Kakashi was playing favorites when he chose Freed and Jiraiya having the same experience due to Orochimaru being chosen over him. Also I don't think anyone even Laxus can get over trauma easily hence the nightmare. Also even Jiraiya knows when to tone it down but don't worry he'll be called pervy sage soon enough. I changed the name because I thought the original was too much of a Naruto title. And I made the cover. Reviews and comments appreciated.**


	18. Rasengan

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail and the first person to comment will be dedicated**

"Here" said Jiriaya, setting down two large sacks full of water balloons in front of Laxus.

"What are these for?" asked Laxus, taking a water balloon and examining it.

"Training" replied Jiraiya. Laxus had no idea what the he was taking about. "Okay, watch." Jiraiya took one of the balloons and Laxus watched as he swirled the water in the balloon with his chakra until the balloon burst.

"Whoa!" exclaimed the hyperactive blonde ninja. Jiraiya explained to Laxus to burst the balloon by swirling the water using only his chakra. "Now, you already know the 'water walking' exercise and the 'tree climbing' exercise. The tree climbing exercise teaches you to maintain a certain amount of chakra by focusing your mind and keeping that concentration. The water walking exercise releases a fixed amount of chakra continuously. For this, use the water walking technique to spin the water with a continuous flow."

"Spin the water with a continuous flow?" asked Laxus asked.

 _'Hmm, let's see'_ thought Jiraiya for a second. "Alright, first use the tree climbing exercise to maintain a moderate amount of chakra in your hands and then use the water walking exercise to release and spin it continuously."

Laxus had the idea now. Basically, he had to continuously spin it until it boiled and the balloon burst. Jiraiya explained that there were about 150 water balloons in the bag and he would only teach Laxus the second step in learning the Rasengan once all of the balloons were popped with Laxus's chakra. Before returning to his research, Jiraiya explained that Laxus would probably need both hands to control the chakra at first, but should then work on controlling it with a single hand after the first few balloons.

The rest of the day consisted of Laxus trying to burst the balloon. However, all he managed to do was get the water to swirl in a single direction. While the balloon was deforming, it was nowhere near what Jiraiya's balloon had looked like. Jiraiya's balloon had multiple points, chaotically erupting out of it until the balloon finally burst. Laxus's balloon only deformed until it was in an elongated disk.

It wasn't until late the next day that Laxus finally got an idea on how to do the first step. Tora, the Demon Cat of the Hidden Leaf, came upon Laxus training and found a stray water balloon. "Hey! Give that back you damn cat!" screamed Laxus as Tora began playing with the balloon, knocking it back and forth until the balloon burst, soaking the cat. The burst scared Tora off, but Laxus had an idea. He took a balloon in one hand and began focusing his chakra.

 _'I wonder if the kid learned anything?_ ' thought Jiraiya, whose attention had been momentarily averted from the bikini-clad girls in the river next to their training area. Laxus did, as he clasped the balloon in both hands and began swirling the chakra, creating different directions of the swirl. A few moments later, the balloon burst.

"Yeah! I did it!" shouted the excited ninja.

 **"Keep it down out there. I'm trying to take a nap"** said Kurama, while he was trying to take a nap; he had been keeping an eye on his jinchuriki's progress.

 _"Shut up. I'm now one step closer to getting this Jutsu down, so stop complaining!"_ replied Laxus.

Suddenly, Laxus hear a rustling in the bushes as Elfman came running out. "Oh, Laxus?" said Elfman, wondering why Laxus was there. However, his head refocused on the task at hand. "Hey, have you seen that damn cat anywhere? I could have sworn I smelled it, but it faded off."

"Cat? Oh, you mean Tora?" asked Laxus as Elfman nodded.

"The Hokage gave me and Mira that mission. Thanks to you, I'm stuck doing missions without my team for the next month!" said Elfman, referring to the fact that both of his teammates were in the finals and that they had the entire month off from mission work to train, while he had been eliminated by Laxus .

Laxus told him that Tora came running through here a few minutes ago, and soaked itself with one of his water balloons. Unfortunately, this wiped most of the scent on Tora and it would be a bit before the scent was strong enough again. That cat was seriously becoming a genin's bane as Elfman took off in the direction that Laxus directed him in.

"So it looks like you've got it" said Jiraiya. Laxus nodded in excitement. "Alright, now only 149 more balloons to go."

Jiraiya smiled as Laxus's spirits dropped. He had been hoping to move onto the next stage, but now he had to repeat the same thing for all 149 remaining balloons.

* * *

Lucy was in her family dojo, training with her father. He was trying to get her level of gentle fist up to par before the finals, for she had something to prove here. Before she informed him that she had made the finals, practically no one in the Hyuga clan had expected Lucy to make it that far. Most of the members of the main family saw her as a disappointment and felt that she should just forfeit now before she embarrassed the name of the Hyuga in the finals, in front of many powerful lords.

At first, Lucy was thinking to give into the taunts of some members of the main branch, but she decided to push herself to improve, thinking _'what would Laxus do?'_ He had told her that she was strong and that was all that mattered. While most of the main family had decided to taunt her and call her weak during the past week, her father had actually offered to train her again.

Hiashi did not want to give up his daughter's training years ago, feeling that once he managed to take away her self-confidence issue, that she would begin to blossom as a powerful shinobi. However, the pressure from the rest of the main family forced him to take up Wendy as his student and potential heir. Before he began training Lucy, her sensei, Kurenai, had informed him that Lucy had made it. Hiashi was surprised that Lucy had managed to pull it off and demanded Kurenai tell him of her exam. She explained that her opponent was a rather strong ninja from the Sand village and that Lucy had managed to best him in combat. Asking what it was that finally gave her the push to do this, Kurenai's answer surprised Hiashi. It was Laxus…he was the one who encouraged Lucy to de her best, he was the one who told her to just ignore Neji's taunts, he was the one who brought out her strength.

During their training, Hiashi could see the determination that Laxus's words had implanted in Lucy were still there as she was finally pushing herself and she was finally showing progress. It was getting later in the day, and he had been working with Lucy since early in the morning. "Lucy, that's enough for today" said Hiashi to his panting daughter.

"N…no, I can k-keep going" she replied. Apparently, a bit of confidence wasn't the only thing Laxus gave her. She was displaying a small amount of stubbornness.

"Whether you can or cannot, you have made good progress this week. I must say that I actually am impressed" complimented Hiashi. This was one of the first times that she had heard something like that come out of his mouth. "Take tomorrow to rest and we will pick up the day after. I think you have enough accuracy and speed now that we can begin the eight trigrams. But you should rest first as the training will only get more difficult."

Lucy understood standing and bowing before her father and leaving the dojo. Outside, Lucy met up with one few truly friendly faces she had known in the Hyuga clan, Ko her personal caretaker and one of her closest friends. Ko was one of the few Hyuga who truly believed that she had talent and was always encouraging her to do her best. It wasn't until just recently that he had truly began to see a drastic improvement in her skills. He offered to treat the young girl to dinner at a place that was known for its sweets and deserts, knowing that Lucy had quite the sweet tooth. For Ko, tonight was also a celebration as he had learned that his wife was now pregnant and they would be expecting their first child in about 8 months.

Returning home, Lucy entered the house and proceeded to her room, passing the dojo, she heard her father's voice and the voice of some of the clan elders.

She couldn't clearly make out the conversation; however she could make out the purpose of the conversation going on. Basically, the clan elders had been questioning Hiashi's decision to train Lucy, declaring her a failure. Hiashi on the other hand, was defending his daughter, claiming that she was finally showing the potential that would make her into a strong shinobi. As the conversation came to a close, one of the elders suggested that Lucy should just be branded and that would be the end of it. They claimed that there was no room in the main family for someone as weak as she was. Again, Hiashi refuted that.

"Big sister? Why are you crying?" asked Wendy, finding her big sister standing near the door of the dojo.

"I-it's nothing Wen" replied Lucy. _'They still think I am weak? But wait, father believes in me? I won't let him down, and I won't let you down, Laxus._ ' Lucy thought.

Lucy turned to her sister. "I'm going out for a bit. Please don't tell anyone" Lucy told Wendy, who agreed not to say anything.

* * *

The next day, Laxus spent finishing off the remaining water balloons. He had required both hands for about the first fifty, but then found it becoming increasingly easier to pop the balloons with one hand once he got the feel for the proper control and release of chakra. Jiraiya decided to call it a day for training as now he had to go and find the required item for the next step of the Rasengan. Besides, Laxus's hands were burning from the constant release of chakra for the past three days.

"Hey, Jiraiya! So what's step two?" asked an overanxious Laxus the next day.

"This" said Jiraiya, throwing Laxus a hollow rubber ball, much to Laxus's disappointment. Jiraiya then took a rubber ball himself and proceeded to pop it like the water balloon. "The first step was to get the spin down, the second step is to add power. If there is no water, it is hard to feel the chakra, so it is hard to power it up or control it. Now, here is a bag with 150 rubber balls, you know what to do."

 _'I wonder if it is the same skill set as the last step?'_ thought Laxus .

"Alright, I'll let you work on it then" said Jiraiya returning to his 'research'.

"Wait!" shouted Laxus. "Didn't you say that you were going to train me?!"

"I said I'd teach you. Don't misunderstand me, I never said it would be that simple" responded Jiraiya. "You need to be able to depend on yourself. That is how you'll become strong. If you can't work out things yourself, then the most you'll come up with are perverted ninjutsu"

Laxus spent the next two days trying to pop the ball while Jiraiya just sat there peeping at the girls in the river next to them. It was getting late in the evening and Laxus was really beginning to feel the burn. _'Damn it. The damn ball won't break no matter how much I try!'_ thought Laxus, who was now lying on the ground as a sharp pain was running through his arms. _"Every time I let my chakra flow like that, a pain runs down my arms and hands like my nerves are being prodded. The more I increase the chakra, the worse the pain gets._ "

 **"Perhaps that's the key to this step. It's kind of like what I do with my Tailed Beast Ball. I build up my chakra until I can no longer contain it and I release it all at once"** explained Kurama.

 _"Tailed Beast Ball?"_ asked Laxus.

 **"It's probably the strongest attack I have, capable of destroying mountains"**

 _"Whoa! Can you teach it to me?"_ Laxus asked, now wanting to learn yet another Jutsu.

 **"Not until we can fully merge our powers, Kit"** replied the Fox. **"Anyways, try that. Build up as much chakra as you can and release it all at once."**

 _"Alright, here he go…build the chakra until I can't bear the pain anymore"_ thought Laxus. He gathered the chakra. The pain in his arms increased until it was at the point of breaking. Laxus then took all that chakra and gripped the ball, forcing it into the ball space between his hands. The ball deformed and finally a small hole in the side opened up and the ball deflated as Laxus dropped to his knees out of breath.

"Oh? Looks like you've got at least the basics of it" said Jiraiya, turning his attention back to Laxus . Unfortunately for him, the girls had left for the day.

"What are you talking about, all I did was make a small hole" replied a slightly depressed Laxus.

"Oh don't be so stubborn. You've come a long way, getting the first two steps done in about a week's time" replied Jiraiya. "You have the basics, so the rest is just a simple trick." Jiraiya took out his brush and drew a small spiral in the center of Laxus's hand.

"Huh? What's this?" asked a curious Laxus. "What do you mean by this is the hint?"

Jiraiya held up a blank piece of paper in front of Laxus . "Look here at this paper" said Jiraiya. Laxus took a look at it until Jiraiya put it down. Then he drew the same swirl in the center of the paper that he had drawn on Laxus 's hand. Laxus looked again.

"So what?" asked Laxus .

"It's not that complicated. When I held up the blank paper, you looked at the entire thing as a whole, right?" Laxus nodded his head. "But, when you looked at the paper with the dot, where was your attention drawn to?"

Suddenly, a bright light bulb went off in Laxus's head, practically blinding Kurama. **"Damn it Kit, its times like this when I'm glad you don't have a lot bright ideas"** joked the Fox. Laxus's sweat dropped on the outside as Jiraiya just questioned what he was thinking about.

"It's nothing, just the damn Fuzzball that lives in my head" said Laxus .

 **"Oh come on Kit, have a sense of humor."**

"Alright, so what you are saying is to focus on one point?" asked Laxus .

"Eh, not bad." Jiraiya began his explanation. "When the paper is blank, there is no clear target and your gaze is unstable. Now, when I drew the dot on it, your attention was drawn to the center. Your target becomes clear and your eyes follow it. This is called the 'concentration-of-one'. You become closer to a state where you can draw maximum power because your mind is focused and calm. When you made that hole in the ball, you must have focused a lot of chakra into the palm of your hand and pushed the power to the limit."

"Alright, so focus all the chakra in my palm onto that one dot?" asked Laxus. Jiraiya nodded.

Picking up one more ball for the night, Laxus did as he was instructed, focusing as much chakra as he could muster around that one point in the palm of his hand. When he released it, the ball deformed for a few seconds before exploding in a loud burst.

"Yeah! I did it!" shouted Laxus as he began to feel weak and dizzy again. He collapsed to his knees, having used up too much chakra.

"Alright Laxus . Take a break. We'll continue tomorrow" said Jiraiya.

"No. I…can keep…going" panted Laxus . He then heard a grumble come from his stomach. Perhaps a break was a good thing.

The two of them soon found themselves at Laxus's favorite restaurant in town, Ichiraku ramen. Jiraiya was both amazed and disgusted by the amount of ramen this kid could consume, leaving just over a dozen bowls on the counter.

 _'Damn, this kid is just like his aunt when it comes to ramen'_ thought Jiraiya, remembering a few things.

* * *

The next day, Laxus was able to pop the remaining balls. Like the water balloons, he spent the first 50 or so balls using both hands to contain the chakra, but found himself able to use one hand after getting the feel for it. "Alright! What's next?!" shouted Laxus after finishing up on the last ball.

Jiraiya pulled out an uninflated balloon and blew it up. "Another balloon?" thought a depressed Laxus as Jiraiya tossed it to him.

"The first step was to spin it and the second step was power" explained Jiraiya. "The third step is this." He held the balloon in his hand and got the chakra spinning. Laxus was staring intently at the balloon, but nothing was happening.

"What the heck is this?!" screamed Laxus.

"It may seem like I'm holding the balloon the same way, but watch." Jiraiya pulled out a needle and popped the balloon. Inside, Laxus saw it. Inside the balloon was the Rasengan.

"Whoa, inside, the chakra was spiraling rapidly and increasing in pace, but it maintained a perfect orb!" exclaimed Laxus . "Even with that much power inside, the balloon didn't even twitch until the Jiraiya popped it. There must be more power and speed then when I popped the rubber ball!"

"Alright, listen up. This third step is giving it all you've got from the first two steps and charging it" explained the Toad Sage. "Basically, you max out the spin and power of chakra, but you will maintain a wall to contain it."

"So I do the spinning exercise from the last step, but try not to pop the balloon!" realized Laxus .

Laxus spent the rest of the day, trying to get the third and final step down, popping many, many balloons. 'Damn it! You've got to be kidding me! I've got to control all that I've learned perfectly. Now I can understand…this third step is on a completely different scale!' he thought. Laxus had about a week and a half to get the third stage down and be able to use the Rasengan until his match with Neji, however, the realization on how difficult was starting to wear at him.

* * *

For the past few days, at the same time Laxus was busy with the second stage, Hiashi had begun to instruct Lucy on the Eight Trigrams stance. Ko had volunteered to be the 'practice dummy' when Hiashi went to demonstrate the technique. "Gentle Step: Eight Trigrams, Sixty-four Palms!" Hiashi called out as he struck Ko with 64 rapid and precise strikes. Ko collapsed to his knees after taking the attack. Hiashi had reduced the power of the chakra bursts to the bare minimum so that Lucy could see, but that still didn't mean it didn't hurt.

"Ko!" shouted Lucy, running to his side and beginning to open up the chakra points.

"I'm fine, Lucy . I am doing this for your benefit, so it does not bother me" explained Ko as he found his way back to his feet. For the next few days, Hiashi was instructing Lucy on the first thirty-two strikes; however, there was one major problem….Lucy would not use the chakra bursts. Hiashi knew why. She was still too gentle and did not want to hurt Ko, even after he begged her to use them. If Lucy would not use the chakra bursts in training, there was no way to tell if her strikes were effective. He had to think of another way.

 **Comments and reviews appreciated.**


	19. personal Demons

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or fairy tail and the first person to comment will be dedicated**

* * *

In the Sand village, "Good work, Baki" the Kazekage said.

"Unfortunately, Kankuro did not make it to the finals, but the other two did, Kazekage" Baki said.

"There is no need to worry, Kankuro will still be present and Gajeel was the only one we desperately needed to reach the finals anyways" the Kazekage said. "From now on, I presume our deal with the Sound is strong?"

"Yes, here are the plans form the sound" Baki said, handing the scroll Kabuto had given him to the guards, who then passed it to the Kazekage.

"I see, then we will be counting on you four that day" said the Kazekage.

"But Kazekage, with only the four of us? Can we not place troops around the Fire country and call it an exercise?" argued Baki.

"The Leaf isn't stupid" explained one of the guards. "Their ANBU is already on the move and if we do that, we will draw too much attention. As expected, the forces we can bring into the village are limited. That is why we have Gajeel and the others."

With that, the Kazekage ordered Baki to go and prepare. The Sand was preparing to make their move.

* * *

*Flashback*

"The Sand will join the Sound in attacking the Leaf on the third day of the chunin exams" explained Baki to his three students. "This is an S-rank mission, please understand the importance."

"But why a war?!" Temari cried. "After all the time and effort we put forth creating the alliance…to break that, many will die."

"In the end, shinobi are tools of war" explained Baki. "The alliance itself threatened our existence. You genin probably don't know it, but the Wind country's stupid ministers have used the alliance to forcibly weaken the military strength of the Hidden Sand. Because of the alliance, and the ministers fully trusting the Leaf, he sent out clients to them and drastically cut our funding. When the head is stupid, we suffer. For our village to keep up, we had to raise the abilities of each of our shinobi. That's why shinobi like you were created…Gajeel."

Gajeel remained silent.

"Fearing the weakening of The sand, the Kazekage formed an alliance with the Sound to teach the stupid minister the danger the country is in" said Baki. "To measure the recovery of the Sand village, we will destroy the Leaf. If more time is allowed to pass, the Leaf will become too powerful and out of our reach. This mission, we are counting on you, Gajeel." Gajeel nodded.

*End Flashback*

* * *

Laxus arrived at the hot springs early the next day to begin his training. Unfortunately, Jiraiya was not there.

"Yo, Laxus" said Jiraiya, walking up to their little training ground, about an hour late.

"Where were you?! You're almost as bad as Kakashi-sensei!" shouted Laxus.

"I had business to take care of, Laxus" explained Jiraiya with a regretful look in your eyes. "I'm sorry to say but your training ends here. There is something urgent that requires my attention."

"Yeah yeah. I'm sure you just found a new hot spring to go look at girls or something perverted like that" said Laxus.

"It's not that kid, this thing that needs my attention has something to do with…" Jiraiya bent down to whisper into Laxus's ear. "Orochimaru."

"What? Really? What is going on?" asked Laxus.

"I don't really know. That's why I need to investigate" explained Jiraiya.

"Then what about my training?" asked a concerned Laxus.

"I'm sorry, but the remaining week and a half you are going to have to manage on your own. I have faith you can become the fourth master of this technique" said Jiraiya. "Also, about 'Fuzzball', be very careful when using his chakra. A small burst every now and then might be okay, but don't overdo it unless it is absolutely necessary. There are people even in this village who would try to exploit you and that power for their own gain, and his power is not one that should be taken lightly. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I guess" replied Laxus, crossing his arms. Looks like he wouldn't be going full Fox cloak on Neji's ass during the finals.

"Laxus, please promise me you'll be careful with using that chakra" said Jiraiya.

"Alright, I promise you but you need to promise not to do something stupid and get yourself killed ya know!" claimed Laxus.

"just who do you think your talking to I'm the great toad sage." Jiraiya exclaimed with a stupid dance that even made Kurama face fault.

" yay okay pervy sage get going." With that, Jiraiya left to check out what required his attention.

Since there was no use staying at the hot springs any longer, Laxus figured he would grab a quick bowl of ramen then move over to training ground 7 to continue.

* * *

Evergreen was walking down the street of The Leaf, holding a wrapped daffodil in her hand. Today was the day she got off from doing missions. Normally, she would have used this day to train or do something that was related towards her getting closer to someone coughElfmancough, or even spend time with her teammates. Bickslow was visiting his older brother and she hadn't seen Freed in the past weeks, nor had she seen Kakashi-sensei around. Her first assumption was that Kakashi had taken Freed away for training, which was the correct assumption.

Ahead of her, Evergreen caught an orange-clad ninja coming out of a ramen shop. "Laxus!" she shouted. It had been over a week at least since she saw one of her teammates, and even Laxus was a welcomed sight.

"Oh, Evergreen? What are you doing here?" asked the ramen-stuffed blonde.

"I'm on my way to the hospital to see Lee" she replied.

"Bushy Brows? How is he doing?" asked Laxus.

"You should come and see him. I'm sure he would like to wish you good luck or something before your match with Neji" said Evergreen. Inside, Laxus's spirits lowered slightly. Despite this training, he knew if he didn't have his new Jutsu ready for the finals, that there would be a good chance he wouldn't beat Neji. After experiencing the difficulty of the third step, even he was beginning to have doubts.

Still, Laxus did want to see how Bushy Brows was doing and he wouldn't refuse this time with Evergreen. When they got to the hospital, they also ran into Shikamaru, who had just finished visiting Chouji. Apparently, Chouji had eaten too much and was in the hospital with a strained stomach. Both Laxus and Evergreen got a good laugh out of this. Shikamaru decided that it wouldn't be too much trouble to see Lee as he was also a little curious as to how the spandex-wearing ninja was.

They opened the door to find something they had not expected to see. There was sand hovering around Lee and a raven-headed boy standing beside him, ready to kill.

"Ahh!" screamed Evergreen as Shikamaru had to act quickly, restraining Gajeel with his shadow possession jutsu.

Laxus punched Gajeel in the cheek as Shikamaru felt the blow as well due to his Jutsu. "Bastard! What are you doing to Bushy Brows?!"

"I was trying to kill him!" replied Gajeel with a cold and sadistic tone to his voice.

"W-what?!" the three Leaf ninja stuttered in unison. Shikamaru noticed something was off. 'How can he stay so calm?' thought the lazy genius. "Why is there a need to do that? You won your fight, do you have some personal grudge against him?"

"I have no grudge. I just simply want to kill him" Gajeel replied, sending horrified looks onto the Leaf ninja's faces.

 **"Damn raccoon. Can't he think of anything else besides mindless violence? Hell, if it wasn't for him, you humans might have never found out about us"** said Kurama. Laxus heard the demon, but couldn't respond just now between what Gajeel had said and what Kurama had just said.

"W-what the hell? You Bastard!" shouted Laxus.

"You had a messed up childhood, how self-centered can you be?" asked Shikamaru. 'I'm getting this weird chill. If he acts up, Laxus and I may not be able to stop him. What to do?'

"If you get in my way, I'll kill you to!" Gajeel said unleashing a wave of killing intent through the room.

"What?! Go ahead and try!" shouted Laxus, preparing himself for a fight.

"Hey, Laxus, stop it!" ordered Shikamaru. Evergreen, who was standing there couldn't move as the killing intent took over her body's control.

 **"Kit, pineapple hair is right. Now is not the time or place to be picking fights with other demons, even if they only have ONE tail. We don't want anyone dying in the crossfire"** warned Kurama.

 _'I'll try to bluff him'_ Shikamaru thought. "We know you are strong, but so are we. We didn't show you our 'special moves' in the preliminaries. Plus its 2 on 1. You have a disadvantage. If you leave now, we'll let it go."

"I'll say it one more time. Get out of my way, or I'll kill you to" replied Gajeel.

"I won't be killed by the likes of you!" Laxus shouted.

"Laxus, shh" Shikamaru said, trying to calm his blonde counterpart down. "His strength is like a monster, don't you understand?"

"Heh, monster you say? Well guess what, I HAVE a real monster inside of me" claimed Laxus, referring to Kurama. Evergreen knew what he was referring to, but Shikamaru saw that as a bluff.

"A monster, eh?" replied Gajeel. "Like you said, I had a messed up childhood. I was born into this world by taking the life of the woman I would have called my mother. To become the ultimate shinobi, my father attached the incarceration of sand through me using ninjutsu…I was born a monster. The being referred to as the Shukaku, it was sealed into an old kettle. It's the living spirit of an old hidden sand priest."

"A possession Jutsu that allows one to be possessed before birth…to go that far is crazy" replied Shikamaru.

 **"Crazy…Yep, sounds like that bastard of a raccoon"** replied Kurama.

"Heh, what a strange expression of love. A parent doing something like that" said Shikamaru.

"Love?" replied Gajeel. "Don't judge me with your measuring stick. Family…you want to know what kind of connection that is to me?"

Gajeel now had the Leaf genin's full attention. "It's simply pieces of meat connected to me through murderous intend and hatred. By sacrificing my mother's life, I was grated as the village's ultimate masterpiece as the Kazekage's son" Gajeel told them. "My father taught me the secrets of the shinobi. I was spoiled and allowed to do as I pleased. I thought that was love…until that incident occurred."

"What incident?!" Evergreen asked, regaining her ability to talk.

Gajeel let an evil, sadistic grin slip onto his face. "For the last 6 years, my father has tried countless times to kill me!"

Laxus, Evergreen, and Shikamaru were in shock. "But you said your father spoiled you…what do you mean?"

"A being too strong can become an existence of fear" replied Gajeel. "Born through Jutsu, my spirit was unstable. It seems the idiots in my village finally realized there was a problem…To my father, I was the village's trump card, but I was also very dangerous. It seems that by the time I was 6, I was too dangerous. As the village's dangerous tool, I was handled with care. To them, I am simply an object of the past they want to see disappear. The why do I exist? Why am I alive? When I thought about this, I could find no answer. But, as you live, you need a reason, otherwise it's the same as being dead."

"What's he talking about?" asked Shikamaru. He looked over to see Laxus had frozen.

 _'I can understand'_ thought Laxus. _'He's the same as me'._

"I came to this conclusion. I exist to kill every single being besides myself. I finally found relief from the fear of death, never knowing when someone would try to kill me" stated Gajeel. "By continually killing assassins, I understood the reason to continue living. Fighting only for yourself, living while loving only yourself…If you think that everyone else simply exists to allow you to experience that feeling, nothing is better than that in the world. As long as there are people in this world for me to kill, and continue to feel the joy of living, my existence will not vanish."

 _'What is this guy? This is really bad'_ thought Shikamaru.

 _"I was alone…I couldn't find a reason to live and was in pain…but because my teacher, Iruka-sensei, and my team and comrades, and even you, Kurama, I finally experienced what it meant to be alive'_ thought Laxus. _'But he continued to be alone and experienced living through killing other. How could a guy like this exist?'_

 **"Now you know why that raccoon is insane. He's completely psychotic, who only wants to cause death and destruction. If he cannot do it, then he manipulates his host into doing it for him"** answered Kurama.

"Now, I've had enough of you…Die!" shouted Gajeel as he sent his sand out towards the three. Kurama was readying himself to flood Laxus with demonic chakra while Shikamaru froze and all Evergreen could do was scream.

"That's enough!" Gai said, entering the room. "The finals are in a few days, so don't get antsy. Or do you want to stay here, starting today."

Gajeel clutched his head in obvious mental pain. "I'll definitely kill you guys, just wait!" he threatened, leaving the hospital.

The three Leaf genin knew they had just avoided something that could have gotten very bad.

* * *

It was now late in the evening and Laxus had made his way to the training ground. The upcoming match between him and Neji was approaching and after seeing what Neji did to the Cloud ninja, Karui, he was beginning to become unnerved. The previous encounter with Gajeel only served to make matters worse. He worked on his Rasengan, only for it to fail. However, to say that progress wasn't being made was wrong. Before, the balloon would instantly burst when he tried to contain the chakra, but now he was able to hold it for a second or two before the chakra began to destabilize.

Late at night, Laxus was blown back when one of his balloons burst rather violently. It was then that he looked up to se Lucy standing in front of him. Realizing that Laxus was also at the training grounds where she was doing some personal and supplemental training, she quickly turned a light shade of red and ducked behind a post.

"Lucy? What are you doing here?" asked Laxus.

"N-nothing, I-I j-just came here t-to train, Laxus" she stuttered out. "W-what are y-you doing here?"

"'I've been here training" Laxus said.

"Oh, w-well I c-can go to another t-training ground" said the shy girl.

"No, that is alright. It would actually be nice to have some company for once" said Laxus. This in turn turned Lucy a slightly darker shade of red. A few moments later, Laxus dropped his head as the prospect of his fight came back to his mind. "Hey Lucy, that Neji guy, he's your cousin, right?"

"Y-yes" said Lucy.

"Is he…Is he strong?" asked Laxus.

"Y-yeah" replied Lucy, Laxus's spirits were deflated even further. "But I b-believe you c-can beat h-him."

"Haha, yeah because I am really strong!" replied Laxus, a long awkward pause soon followed.

 _ **'And he's finally cracked'**_ thought Kurama.

"Well L-Laxus, when you cheered for me, I felt like I-I had become stronger" Lucy said, the stuttering slowly working its way out of her voice. "I had managed to defeat a strong opponent and I started to like myself a little more. It was t-thanks to you that I felt like I was able to change."

"Ahh, thanks to me?" Laxus said, still unsure. "Yeah, I'm very influential."

Another awkward silence followed. "Lucy? Do you really think that?" Laxus asked. "I may appear strong to you, but that's just an act. I act all tough, because I always keep failing."

"That's not true!" Lucy burst out, surprising herself, Laxus, and even the Fox. "Even when you fail, you always manage to get back up and become stronger…In my eyes, you are a proud failure. W-when I-I look at y-you, I g-get an intense feeling i-in my h-heart. Because you fail, you have the strength to get back up. I believe that is true strength. Because of that, you are incredibly strong, Laxus."

"Wow! Thanks Lucy!" Laxus said, feeling revitalized. "Earlier, I was feeling uncharacteristically depressed, but now, I am feeling much better!"

Laxus then looked straight at Lucy, and said to her "You know, I always thought you were a plain-looking, dark weirdo." Lucy's spirits dropped. "But you know, there is something about you that I really like."

This picked her up, even more than she had been brought down. She was about to say something, but Laxus opening his oblivious mouth first. "So what have you been working on these past few weeks?"

 ** _'Yep, he's an idiot'_** thought Kurama, dropping his head as Laxus had just ruined the moment.

"W-well, my father has been training with me. But, I-I just can't seem to g-get the technique down" Lucy admitted.

"Well why not?" Laxus said.

"I-I just d-don't want to hurt anyone" Lucy said, receding back into her shell. "He says that I'm too kind and gentle. U-unfortunately, t-those aren't traits looked h-highly upon in m-my family."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" asked Laxus. "That's one of the best things about you."

"I-it i-is?" she said, turning a deeper shade of red than before.

"Yeah, I mean it's what drives you to be strong. I know you're strong and you proved it after your fight with that sand guy. Because you're kind, you don't want to let anyone down" explained Laxus.

"But for this technique, I need to practice on someone and I d-don't want to hurt them if I am just training" Lucy said. Kurama was blinded even worse by a brighter flash of light as Laxus got another idea, and not an idiotic one.

 **"Please tell me this isn't going to be a normal occurrence"** he complained.

"Well, If you are worried about hurting someone, just use it on me. I've probably taken a worse beating" Laxus said.

"B-but, There is no way I could hurt you!" Lucy cried out.

"Ehh, that's not what I mean" Laxus said. He created a shadow clone next to him. "Just use your technique on my shadow clone."

Lucy took a look at the clone with her Byakugan. Surprisingly, the chakra systems in the clone and the real Laxus were identical. "A-are you s-sure I won't hurt you?"

Laxus grinned. "Nope" he said. Laxus took out a kunai and threw it at the shadow clone's chest, much to the clone's displeasure, striking it and causing it to fall over, horrifying Lucy. The clone disappeared in a cloud of smoke. "See…I'm just fine. Didn't feel a thing."

"A-alright…" Lucy said. Laxus was actually willing to help her again and if he said it was alright to use his clones like this, she would so it as long as he wasn't getting hurt. Lucy tested the clone off by closing a few Chakra points on the clone's arm. Its chakra system reacted the same way and the clone remained. After another close inspection, Lucy began her technique on the clone "Gentle Fist: Eight-trigrams, Thirty-two palms." Only a few seconds later, the clone collapsed and Laxus was in awe at Lucy's speed and technique. She had actually put the full chakra bursts into the technique now that she was assured that she wouldn't be hurting anyone. While she was initially unsure about using Laxus like this, he encouraged her to do so in that it would greatly help her.

"Lucy! What are you doing?" Hiashi asked approaching the training ground. "And why are you with him? You should be focusing your time on training for the final matches!" Laxus was depressed; he was actually having a good time helping Lucy out.

"H-he was h-helping me train" Lucy said.

"Huh?" Hiashi asked, not quite sure of what she was saying.

"He was letting me use his shadow clones to practice the eight trigrams on" she said.

"Shadow clones?" Hiashi asked, looking at Laxus. Laxus just smiled and created a shadow clone. Hiashi took a closer look at it with his Byakugan. Much to his surprise, Laxus had indeed created a shadow clone. Hiashi found himself actually impressed that the boy could use such a high level technique. "Alright, then show me what you were doing."

Lucy turned to the clone. "Sorry for this, L-Laxus" She said.

"It's okay Lucy. Like I said, it's just a clone and it doesn't bother me" Laxus assured.

"O-okay. Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams, Thirty-two palms!" she said, proceeding into her attack. After all was said and done, Hiashi was genuinely impressed. She had managed to hit 22 out of the 32 Chakra points , after only an hour or two of actually using chakra bursts, showing that her attack was actually rather effective even after only beginning to learn it.

Hiashi thought on this for a moment. "Laxus, aren't you supposed to be training as well?" he asked.

"Yeah, but I can take some time off to help Lucy. Besides, Kakashi-sensei abandoned me for Freed, the closet perv got knocked out by Pervy Sage, and Pervy Sage had to attend to some business." Hiashi raised an eyebrow at what Laxus was saying.

"Pervy Sage?" questioned Hiashi.

"Yeah. He's actually a strong ninja, but in reality, he's just a big pervert. He did teach me this cool summoning Jutsu, want to see?" said Laxus. Hiashi wanted to see what summoning Jutsu Laxus was talking about. "Summoning Jutsu!" After a flash of smoke, Gamakichi appeared and asked for a snack. Thankfully, Jiraiya had also taught Laxus a storage Jutsu to store snacks for toads.

"I-it talks?!" Lucy stuttered before passing out at the sight of a talking toad. Hiashi looked at her and let out a sigh.

 _'A Toad summon. I thought there could only be one toad summoned per generation. Does that mean Master Jiraiya is here and he chose him?'_ thought Hiashi.

"Tell me, this 'Pervy Sage'" Hiashi had a hard time getting those last two words out. "By any chance is his name Jiraiya?"

"Yeah, that's him. He also taught me another technique, but that is still being worked on." Laxus responded.

"Hmm…this is interesting". _'So you have been taken by Jiraiya-sensei as a student and he has given you the Toad summoning scroll. What is this other technique you are talking about?'_ thought Hiashi. He remembered what Kurenai said to him about the preliminaries and Laxus being able to bring Lucy out of her shell. Surprisingly, he found himself slightly interested in Laxus and wanted to see what the boy could do, even if the match was against his own nephew. At the same time, Laxus had given him another opportunity to improve Lucy's skills.

"Laxus, could I ask something of you?" asked Hiashi.

"Sure, what is it?" asked Laxus.

"I want you to train with Lucy for a few hours in the afternoons and help her perfect her technique. Your shadow clones have proven a valuable method for her to practice that technique" Hiashi said. At this time, Lucy was waking up and heard their little conversation.

"Yeah, I would be glad to help her out" Laxus replied.

 _'I-I'm going t-to be with Laxus every d-day u-until the f-finals?'_ Lucy thought, passing out again. Hiashi then picked her up and left.

"Laxus, please come by the Hyuga compound tomorrow at 2:00pm" he instructed, leaving with his unconscious daughter. The next thing that he would need to fix with her was that fainting problem.

 **A/N: Alright so in my story, Hiashi will be seen as supportive of his daughter and also rather supportive of Laxus. Also notice that he referred to Jiraiya as -sensei. In the future, Hiashi won't be behind the problems the Hyuga clan causes for Laxus and Lucy. Also happy Valentine's day.**

 **Comments and reviews greatly appreciated.**


	20. Beginning of the final round

**A/N: Alright, Here is the beginning of the final round obviously. This chapter contains both Laxus and Lucy's matches. I am hoping I did a good job with them, especially Lucy's. This chapter is a bit longer as there is a lot of stuff that needs to be included in it.**

 **Dedicated to Bluescreen26**

* * *

Laxus agreed to Hiashi's requests to come by the Hyuga compound to help with Lucy's training for a little. Unfortunately, he received a few looks from some of the members of the clan, particularly the older members, as to why he was there. Some of the older Hyuga knew about Laxus's inhabitant and many of them felt that they should keep their distance from the boy. Even Hiashi had tried to keep his daughters away from him out of fear of the unknown. However, that didn't tend to work out so well.

Over the past month or so, the reports Kurenai had been giving Hiashi on his daughter's progress had revealed something rather curious. It seems as if Laxus managed to have a positive effect on Lucy's confidence and she even went as far as to attribute Lucy's accomplishment in the second exams as a result of Laxus's constant support. The other night, when he found Laxus actually helping her work on her gentle fist, normally he would have scolded her for even being anywhere near her, but when it was revealed that Laxus's intentions were for Lucy's benefit, and they actually seemed to get Lucy to truly focus. It was then he realized that perhaps the village had the boy wrong. Despite the elder's objection's it was worth a shot.

"Laxus, thank you for coming. I appreciate you taking some time out of your training to help with Lucy's" Hiashi said as Laxus entered the Hyuga dojo.

"It's really not a problem,…" Laxus said, trying to find the words for what to call Hiashi.

"Call me Lord Hyuga. It is a title of respect that my clan has worked hard to earn" Hiashi explained.

"Alright, …..Lord Hyuga" Laxus struggled to get the first part out. He was not used to using honorifics with people's names; however this was something about this man that Laxus didn't want to test. The Fox had even warned him to treat this man with respect.

For the remainder of the week, Laxus focused his time between his own training and helping out Lucy a few hours each day. Lucy's technique was coming along quite well, with her gaining the ability to use the thirty-two palms and coming very close to perfecting the sixty-four palms.

Laxus on the other hand had been struggling to perfect the Rasengan. Needless to say, training ground 7 was now a field of battered trees with large gashes in them as a result from Laxus's attempts at the Rasengan. By the night before the finals, Laxus had come close to being able to use it. It was at the point where he would have to find out tomorrow. Thanks to his talk with Lucy, he had no doubt in him. Even if he couldn't use the Rasengan yet, he would still find a way to kick Neji's ass.

* * *

Laxus arrived at the stadium a few minutes before the third exam was scheduled to begin. Upon walking in, he saw everyone there, except for Freed and that Dosu guy. Laxus turned to look at Gaara. 'This is the guy Freed's fighting? Where is he?' thought Laxus.

"Hey Laxus!" A familiar chunin said as he landed next to said boy.

" Iruka-sensei what going on? What are you doing here?" Laxus said showing everyone that's was watching the number one hyperactive knuckleheaded ninja.

" I'm here to watch your fight what do you think I'm doing." Iruka said with a smile.

" when I look into the crowd how will I find you?" Laxus asked.

"Forget about me this is your fight." Iruka said.

* * *

Memory

"Why aren't you going to be part of fantasia this year grandpa?" asked a younger Laxus without a scar on his face."

" Forget about me this is your big moment." Said a figure about Laxus size but the memory is to unfocused to be able to identify who exactly it is.

" okay if you say so. Oh I know in the middle of the parade I'll do this!" After Laxus said that he raised his index finger and thumb. "you can see that right."

"You'll raise your hand?" the figure said obviously confused by the sign.

"It's a message." Laxus explained. "It means even if I can't see you I'm looking your way."

The figure started to cry and said " That's my boy."

"Be sure to look for it okay?" The younger Laxus as the memory faded out.

* * *

" Hey Laxus are you okay?" Iruka asked with a concerned look on his face. " when he saw Laxus confused face he said "You spaced out for a minute there are you okay?" as all the other competitors including Gajeel had there attention turned to the pair.

" Yeah I'm great actually, I just thought of an idea." Laxus responded while the other competitors returned to their previous thoughts/tasks. " when I win my fight with Neji I'll do this!" Laxus said showing the same hand message he did in the memory. "You'll be able to see that right?"

"You'll raise your hand?" Iruka asked, asking the same thing as the figure in the memory."

"It's a message." Laxus responded saying the same thing as he did in the memory. " It means even if I can't see you I'm looking your way."

Iruka smiled at that and said " good idea Laxus I look out for it when you win." and then Iruka left to go to the stands.

 _" what was that Kurama?"_ Laxus asked

 **"I don't know kit I'll look around to see the source but from what I can tell that memory was real."** This disturbed both of them.

* * *

Have you found Freed yet?" asked the Hokage to one of his personal guards. The Hokage was located in a box on top of the stadium, overlooking the entire arena.

"We have a few ANBU teams looking for him" the guard said. "With Orochimaru after him, I don't know what to say."

The Hokage just gave a nod of understanding. Suddenly, something else caught his attention. "Well, well, Lord Kazekage" said the Hokage, greeting his fellow Kage from The Sand.

* * *

Mira turned to Evergreen in the stands. "I know you're worried about Freed, but Laxus's match is up first, shouldn't you be worried about that?"

Evergreen said " I'm worried about both Laxus and Freed." Evergreen then smirked and said "but none of us think of each other romantically so Freed is all yours Mira." Evergreen almost burst out laughing at the look on Mira's face when she said that.

" I don't, were not, oh what are you talking about Ever? Mira asked obviously flustered by the question.

"It's so obvious only Laxus and apparently Freed can't see it." Evergreen said. It was that point that Bickslow decided to but in.

" If it helps I think Freed likes you too." Bickslow said will rolling his tongue on like.

" What do you mean by that Bickslow?" Mira said confused and very interested about what he said and she also had a blush.

" I talked to Laxus when he was at the hospital…" Bickslow before Mira butted in.

" You were in the hospital!?" Mira said shocked that Both of them were in the hospital.

"I've been visiting my older brother who been in the hospital for years and Laxus was visiting Lee with Ever." Bickslow explained annoyed tha he was interrupted.

"Really so what were you two talking about?" Mira said slightly embarrassed that she assumed the worse.

"Among lots of things how Kakashi-sensei ditched Laxus for Freed and how Freed seemed shocked and even disappointed that you cut you hair during the preliminaries." Bickslow said with a scowl on his face when he mentioned what happened with Kakashi. At the shocked and angry looks on Evergreen and Mira he began to regret bringing it up.

" WHAT!" the dreaded saying hell hath no fury like women scorn was proven right as those two were furious, Mira because she saw Laxus as a friend and Kakashi pulled the favoritism act while Evergreen was mad that her teammate and both Laxus and Freed were like brothers to her and something told that while they were rivals they felt the same thing about her and Bickslow and even each other.

" What the fuck is wrong with your sensei Bickslow?" Said a pissed Elfman. Elfman was pissed because one Laxus was able to beat him and not only had hid respect but was also his friend and two because Evergreen was mad but Elfman wasn't entirely aware of the second reason.

" The hell I know Dickless" Bickslow said while getting a punch from Evergreen due to the End while the conversation derails frim original topic entirely and is forgotten for another time while Bickslow and Elfman and Akamaru mostly Elfman argue about the fact that on the insult.

* * *

As the Kazekage and Hokage exchanged greetings, the Hokage stood up, ready to introduce the competitors to the audience. "Thank you everyone for coming to the Hidden Leaf chunin selection exams" announced the Hokage. "We will now start the main tournament between the remaining 10 participants who made it through the preliminaries. Please stay and watch until the very end."

'10? There was initially 11 and now there is only 9? What is going on?' thought Shikamaru.

"There is something I would like to tell you before the match starts" explained the proctor, holding up the tournament bracket. "Please take a look at who you are fighting." The 9 contestants looked to see that Dosu was no longer on the bracket and that Shikamaru would face Temari in the first round. The winner of that match would then face the victor of the matches between Cana, Yugito, Freed, and Gajeel. Finally, there would be a final one-on-one match to determine the overall winner.

"Hey, Freed isn't here yet, what are you going to do?" asked Laxus.

"If he doesn't show by his match time, he will lose by default" the proctor explained.

 _'Hmm, that is strange. He would be here even if that meant dragging his broken body down here'_ thought Laxus.

Baki looked down from the stands at Gajeel and a suspicion came to his mind. _'It can't be. After all I told him not to draw attention, did he kill Freed?'_ thought the sand jonin.

"Alright guys, this is the final test. The arena is different but the rules are still the same" explained the proctor. "You will fight in 1-on-1 matches until one of you either dies or acknowledges defeat. However, if I determine that the fight is over, I will stop it, understood?" The 9 competitors acknowledged. "Now for the first fight, Laxus Dreyar and Neji Hyuga, you two stay here while the rest of you go to the waiting room."

"G-good l-luck Laxus" Lucy whispered as Neji shot her a dark look.

In the stands, Kurenai and Asuma joined Elfman, Evergreen, Mira, and Chouji, to watch the fight.

"Heh, this will be good" Elfman said.

"Even though Laxus is strong he doesn't have a chance…" Mira said doubtingly.

Two chunin, Kotetsu and Izumo, from the first exam were sitting behind them. "For this kid to get this far…" Kotetsu said.

"For a guy that got this far on pure luck, this is the end for him. His opponent is just too tough" Izumo said. This pissed off Evergreen and Bickslow and worried Mira even more. Elfman turned to the other three.

"Don't worry. That's what I thought at first, but you can't go underestimating him" Elfman said. Suddenly, he headed a worried call from Akamaru and turned around to see an ANBU standing in the back corner. 'What's the ANBU doing here?'

"Hmph. You got anything to say before you lose?" Neji said to Laxus.

"Yeah! You're going down!" exclaimed Laxus, all doubt had been erased from him after the talk he had with Lucy a few nights ago. Neji activated his Byakugan.

"Hmm, the eyes of a person who totally believes in himself. There is no doubt in him" smirked Neji.

"Begin!" announced the proctor.

"So sure of yourself. It will make it that much more enjoyable when I send you back to reality" said Neji.

"Stop all the blabbering and let's fight!" exclaimed Laxus.

Up in the stands, Hiashi had taken his seat in the noble's box, along with his second daughter Wendy. "Watch closely Wendy, there isn't another who was received such thick Hyuga bloodline." Hiashi said. Even though Lucy was beginning to show some potential, he had to admit that Neji was easily the stronger of the two. This was going to be an interesting fight.

"Yes father" replied the small 7 year old Wendy sitting next to him.

Laxus remembered what Kakashi had said back in the preliminaries about the Gentle Fist fighting style. "So basically, I have to fight him from a distance" said Laxus. Laxus made four shadow clones and sent them charging at Neji.

"Shadow clones? That is a jonin level technique. For him to use it…" Izumo said to his friend.

"This could be a good fight after all" Kotetsu replied.

 _'Shadow clones?'_ thought Neji, analyzing them with his Byakugan. In the waiting box, Lucy also had hers activated and was seeing the same thing Neji was seeing. 'I see…his chakra is divided evenly amongst them. Even with the Byakugan I cannot tell which one is the real one.'

Four Laxus charged at Neji, kunai at the ready. He evaded the first two, using them to springboard into the second two, causing the second two to disappear. As two more clones charged at him from behind, Neji grabbed their hands and elbowed them in the chin, sending them back and causing them as well to disappear.

"Damn 360 vision" Laxus said, remembering a few things said about the Byakugan in the preliminaries.

"So you want to become a great ninja, eh?" questioned Neji. "Well that's impossible. I can figure out with these eyes. Talent is decided at birth. You could say everything is decided when a person is born."

"Why the hell do you always decide things like that?!" shouted Laxus.

"So what you are saying is that anyone can become a great ninja through hard work? Very few shinobi are chosen "to be great ninja" explained Neji. "Look closely. Those who become great ninja are born into that destiny. You don't be become it by trying. It is decided at birth. People must live within their own unchangeable flow. Just give up. The only destiny that every person shares…is death." Neji stared at Laxus with coldness in his eyes. In the stands, Hiashi caught this look

 _'Those eyes…he still holds a grudge against the main family'_ Hiashi thought up in the stands.

"So what?! I'm not good at giving up" shouted Laxus, creating a dozen shadow clones in the process.

"I'm not stupid. I already see your pattern in attack" said Neji as the clones charged him. Neji evaded each clone and charged through the mass. His target was the Laxus standing out of harm's way. Neji charged at that Laxus and hit him just underneath the collar bone, pressing a chakra point there. "Fearing having your pressure points pressed, one body is doing the least amount of attacking. The more you attack, the clearer it becomes…You're the real one."

Laxus coughed up a bit of blood from Neji's hit. He then looked up and gave Neji a grin. "L-Laxus…" Lucy said, worrying from the contestants' box.

"Heh, I told you to stop automatically deciding things" said the injured Laxus as it disappeared in a cloud of smoke, revealing itself to be a shadow clone.

"What?!" said Neji, shocked that his eyes had failed him. Two Laxus's appeared behind him. By the time Neji realized it, there was no dodging this attack.

"Yeah! Go Laxus!" Yelled the rookie twelve from the stands. Most of the remaining people in the stands were surprised that the 'dead last' had pulled something like that off.

'Laxus, go!' Lucy thought, observing alongside Shino and the other finalists.

'He anticipated what I was thinking and purposely left on clone back?' thought a shocked Neji.

"I'm coming at you with everything I got!" shouted Laxus, his fist quickly closing the gap between him and Neji. Only an inch or so away from Neji's head, Laxus's hand was stopped by a blast of chakra. Laxus was thrown back by the force as everyone was wondering what had just happened. From there eyes, it looked as if Laxus had Neji there.

 _'That can't be…'_ Hiashi thought from the stands. _'Eight-trigrams palm rotation…the Heavenly Spin?'_

"Father, isn't that…" Wendy asked. Her father nodded.

 _'No…Laxus had him there'_ thought a worried Lucy.

 _'Heh. That's Neji's ultimate defense but its not as good as that Gajeel guy.'_ thought Levy as she turned to said shinobi. _'now that I actually think about it he's actually kinda Handsome bad thoughts bad thoughts he hurt Lee'._

"Yes Wendy, that is the Eight-trigrams palm Rotation, a technique passed down through the main family and only through the main family" Hiashi said. 'To master it on his own…'

"Damn. I almost had him" Laxus said, picking himself back up.

"It's not over yet. You are within my field of divination" Neji called out, also sending a glare up to Hiashi in the stands. "Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms!"

 _'Shit. I've gotta get away!'_ Laxus thought frantically. He knew about that stance from seeing the beating his clones had taken the past week. But, it was too late.

 _'That stance…It can't be…'_ Hiashi thought.

"What?!" Lucy yelled up in the stands shocking some of the people around her. Even she knew that stance was part of the main family's techniques and how Neji knew it, she didn't know.

Before Laxus could get away in time, he was hit with all 64 of Neji's strikes in a matter of seconds.

 _'A branch house member, surpassing the main family…'_ Hiashi thought in awe. _'What natural talent…for the brilliant blood of the Hyuga to be born into someone who cannot become the heir. Hizashi, you should have been the first born._ '

"Laxus!" Lucy said out loud, surprising almost everyone in the contestants' box.

"I have his 64 of your Chakra points, you are no longer able to stand" claimed Neji. "Stay on your knees before a power you cannot change and realize your worthlessness. Having your dreams come true through hard work is an illusion."

"Damn it" said Laxus. He thought of Lee, standing up after being crushed by Gaara and Lucy becoming strong by defying Neji's taunts and insults by defeating a strong opponent. Laxus forced his way to his feet. "I told you, I'm not good at giving up!"

"Quit. I don't have a grudge against you" Neji stated.

"Shut up…I do!" responded Laxus. "If you're this strong, then why have you been tormenting and harassing Lucy mentally. What sort of right do you have to bring others down? Before her match, you called her a loser and said she should just give up and accept her fate. Yet she came through and proved you wrong, and still you stand here and preach about fate! Pieces of shit like you who call others losers…I cannot forgive!"

"Fine. If you're going to go that far, then I will tell you the true story of the Hyuga family hatred" responded Neji. "From the preliminaries, you know about the main and branch families of the Hyuga. Well, to keep the branch family in check, the main family has a special Jutsu…a cursed seal."

"Cursed seal?" asked Laxus.

"The curse mark represents a 'caged bird'. It's the symbol of being tied down to an inescapable destiny" said Neji as he removed his forehead protector and the medical tape covering his forehead, revealing the Caged Bird Seal on his forehead. Laxus looked in shock. "From the day I was four, I've had this horrible seal carved into my forehead. It was also on the day of Lucy's third birthday, that the Cloud came to the Leaf to sign a peace treaty. Now, my father and Lucy's father were born as identical twins, but Lucy's father came into this world just a few minutes before my father did. As such, Hiashi became a member of the main family while my father was thrown into the branch family. On Lucy's third birthday, I was made a bird in a cage."

"Wait?! But why do they need that mark?" asked Laxus.

"This mark on my forehead is not simply for decoration. This curse is the absolute fear of death, given to the branch families by the main family. With a simple secret hand seal, the branch member's mind can be destroyed; however, death is just as easy of course. This curse will only disappear after death, sealing up the Byakugan with it" explained Neji. "Because the Hyuga household holds a great advanced bloodline, those who go after its secrets are incalculable. With this Jutsu, the branch family is allowed to live only to protect the main family. No disobedience is allowed. It is a system created to protect the bloodline of the Hyuga. It is because of that, my father was killed by the main family!"

"Huh?!" was all Laxus could get out. In the stands, Hiashi just lowered his head. Lucy in a way knew her cousins pain. Until just recently, her father had completely given up on her and she had lived most of her life without her father's love, all because she was considered too weak to be in the main family. She was even on the verge of being branded into the branch family. However, because of Laxus, she was able to change just a little, making her believe that her father might actually begin to accept her again.

"The night that Lucy turned three and the Cloud ninja came to the village, one of them tried to kidnap Lucy, who possessed an unsealed Byakugan. He was there to sign a peace treaty, but the Hyuga quickly realized that he was only after the Byakugan. Lucy's father killed him during his attempted escape and the Cloud village demanded Hiashi's head in return for 'breaking the alliance agreements'. Not wanting war, the Leaf agreed to these terms. However, instead of Hiashi, my father, Hizashi was killed to protect the main branch. Their destiny that night was decided simply by who was born first and who was born second, just like this fight was decided the moment I became your opponent. Your destiny is to lose to me. Just like it will be Lucy's destiny to fall to me as well…if she even makes it that far."

"I don't know how much it hurt that your dad was killed like that a long time ago, but thinking that destiny is all decided by that is a huge mistake!" claimed Laxus. "You thought it was Lucy's destiny to lose back in the preliminaries but she didn't. She changed and showed that she'd strong!" Neji had enough of Laxus's ranting and he charged at the boy, landing a strike directly in his chest.

"Examiner…it's over" Neji said as Laxus slid across the floor of the arena. Neji turned and walked away.

"Don't run!" shouted Laxus. "I won't give up and I don't go back on my word! That's my nindo m t ninja way. And there is no way I will lose to a coward who is always wining about destiny. If you don't like where you are, then change it!"

"Insolent brat! You shouldn't be lecturing" replied Neji. "You could never know what it's like to be burdened with a symbol that you can't get rid of!"

Laxus looked down, thinking of his childhood. At the same time, as if on cue, Evergreen and Bickslow did the same thing, remembering what Laxus had gone through and why the village treated him like such.

"Actually, yeah I can. And you know what?" Laxus said. His answer had struck something in Neji. He could tell that his opponent wasn't lying. "So what…Stop acting cool, you're not the only one who's special. Lucy's suffered just as much as you! A member of the main family, who was cast aside by her family as being weak…trying to change herself! And you, you're supposed to be in the branch family, helping her and supporting her. Not dragging her down. You know what…Like you did to that Cloud ninja whose father was responsible for that incident; I bet you would try to kill Lucy as well! In truth, you're trying hard to defy your destiny!"

Laxus had struck something in Neji, although he wasn't going to admit it. Neji was at the point where he had enough of Laxus's ramble. "Heh, I've blocked over 64 of your chakra points. You won't be able to use chakra for a while, how can you fight?! In the end, you and Lucy will share the same destiny as losers!"

"Shut up! Stop using that Byakugan to act like you know and can decide everyone's destiny!" shouted Laxus.

"Well, if you think I'm wrong, then prove it!" challenged Neji.

"Yeah, I'm definitely going to kick your ass!" said Laxus. _'Damn…but I can't feel any chakra. And his preaching about curse marks and such is getting annoying…wait, that's it!'_

 **"Took you long enough"** Kurama said, realizing that Laxus was starting to realize.

 _"Yeah yeah…just lend me you power and let's kick his sorry ass!"_ Laxus said to Kurama.

 **"Haha. Now things will get interesting"** replied the Fox as he allowed a little of his chakra to flood Laxus's system. It wasn't enough to put any major strain on the seal or activate the chakra cloak, but it was more than enough to revitalize Laxus's chakra system. Laxus made a sign as he began to channel the chakra through himself.

"It's useless. Your points are pressed and you can't channel anymore chakra" Neji claimed.

 _'Unfortunately Laxus, he is right'_ Hiashi thought to himself in the stands. _'If this is all you have, then why did I take an interest in you?_ '

"Before you lose, can I ask you one thing? Why do try so hard to go against destiny?" asked Neji.

"Because…I was called a loser!" replied Laxus. Soon, a red chakra began to swirl around Laxus.

"I-impossible…H-how is chakra flowing out?" Neji asked. Both Hiashi and Lucy were watching the same thing with their Byakugan and also saw Laxus's system flood with a red chakra.

 _'That's…it can't be?'_ thought Hiashi, looking on. Elsewhere throughout the stadium, a few other spectators began to feel the surge of the Nine-tail's chakra spreading through Laxus.

"Father?" Wendy asked tugging at her slightly stunned father.

"What is that? That chakra?!" Neji said as he felt the blast of chakra. Up in the stands, Evergreen let out a smile, much to everyone else's surprise. She knew what was going on as Laxus had told her, Freed, and Bickslow.

"W-what is t-this?" Lucy asked.

"He used this power to defeat me" Cana said to her. "The power to prove himself and the power to protect those precious to him, this must be it."

With the boost of power given to him by Kurama, Laxus began his attack, taking out a few shuriken and launching them at Neji. "Shadow Shuriken Clone Jutsu!" he shouted as his 4 shuriken turned into 100. It was too late for Neji to dodge so he proceeded to use the Rotation, hoping to blow them away. He was successful in blocking most of the shuriken, but a few got through before he could get the Rotation off. Neji had a few deeper cuts in his arms and legs along with one or two in the side of his abdomen. Neji was now on full alert for that attack and Laxus knew it would be difficult to get Neji again with shuriken. It was finally time to see if his training had paid off.

"Oh? Wait! That's!" exclaimed the Hokage with a growing look of surprise, looking on at what was forming in Laxus's hand.

 _'What is that?'_ most of the other genin were thinking.

 _'So this is what Jiraiya-sensei was teaching Laxus. I must say I'm actually impressed that he was able to pull it off'_ thought Hiashi, watching on.

Laxus had done it. The Rasengan was sitting in his hand and it was stable. He began to charge at Neji, with a boost in his speed thanks to some residual chakra from Kurama. Neji, who was still slightly dazed by the shuriken, knew that he wouldn't have the time to dodge this.

"Rasengan!"

"Eight Trigrams : Palm Rotation!"

The two attacks met and a massive explosion followed as one figure was sent crashing back into the stadium wall. When the smoke cleared, Laxus was standing in the middle of the stadium, panting but on his feet. From the crater in the wall, Neji fell. The Rasengan had beaten the Hyuga's ultimate defense.

"Father? What was that?" asked Wendy, observing the shocked look on Hiashi's face at the result of that attack.

"That was known as the Rasengan. It was invented by the Fourth Hokage" explained Hiashi, still stunned that Laxus had actually pulled that Jutsu off. Although it had never actually been tested until now, the Fourth Hokage theorized that the Rasengan had the power to even defeat the Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation. That theory had just been proven today.

 _'Hmm, even when injured, to believe in victory and think ahead, the power to believe in one self…that becomes the power to change destiny_ ' Genma, the proctor thought _. 'This kid understands that and it comes naturally to him.'_ Laxus walked over to Neji.

"Where did you get that? How did you?" said Neji.

"That's what happens when a failure doesn't decide to give up. However, unlike me you're not a failure, you're seen as a genius. And don't give me this destiny crap" explained Laxus. "If you're so depressed with what has happened in the past, then do something about it!"

"Winner: Laxus Dreyar!" Genma announced. As soon as Laxus heard that he did the Fairy Tail sign then Laxus suddenly heard an unfamiliar sound coming from the stands…everyone was cheering and clapping for him.

 _'Laxus…you did it!'_ thought Lucy.

"Great Fight". "That was amazing!" was what Laxus was hearing from around the stadium as he started jumping and celebrating.

"Geez, still has enough energy to run and jump around. What a stamina freak" Genma said to himself.

 **"Not bad Kit, not bad"** even the Fox was impressed with Laxus's fight.

"Laxus's getting stronger and stronger. I can't believe it, but I'm actually kind of jealous of you" said Evergreen quietly. A few of the jonin were impressed that Laxus had been able to pull out the Nine tails' chakra like that without losing control.

 _'To be able to tap in the Nine tails' power and to be able to use THAT Jutsu, since when did he?'_ the Hokage thought. In reality, only two other people in the stands knew about the relationship that Laxus had forged with the Nine tails.

"Even a captured bird…if cleaver enough will pick the lock on his cage and escape…its desire to fly freely in the sky" Genma said to Neji as the medics came to collect him.

Hiashi wanted to get up and leave. He had something important to tell Neji, but his daughter's match was next and he wanted to see just how strong of an effect this boy, who even he once saw as a 'demon child', had on Lucy.

"Will the contestants of the next match, Lucy Hyuga Heartfillia abd Shino Aburame, please come down to the arena" Genma announced. Shino had already walked down the stairs and was coming out to the field as Laxus was going into the stands. On his way up, Laxus met Lucy.

"L-Laxus…that w-was a g-great match" Lucy stuttered.

Laxus just gave her is big goofy grin. "Thanks Lucy. That really means a lot. If it wasn't for you, I might not have been able to beat him."

"M-me? What did I do?" she responded.

"It was what you said the other night, about me being a proud failure. Thank you" Laxus said as Lucy began to blush a deep shade of red. "Now go on, Shino is waiting for you to fight him with your all and you can't disappoint him, can you?"

"No, I guess I can't after that" she said, gaining a little more confidence as they parted ways.

* * *

Lucy emerged in the stadium and approached the center. Talk was circulating around the stadium. Another Hyuga was taking the battle field and this one was from the main branch. She faced Shino in the middle and he could see a little bit on uneasiness in her. Normally, a shinobi would capitalize on this, but Shino wanted to fight Lucy at her best and he knew she would not be able to unless she was completely certain of herself.

"Lucy. I can tell that you are uneasy about fighting me. Why?" Shino asked.

"B-because you are my teammate and f-friend. I don't w-want to hurt you that badly" Lucy stuttered out.

Shino took a deep breath. "And it is because I am your friend that you should come at me with everything you have. I desire to see how strong you have become and you and we deserve to fight this at our full potential" explained Shino, saying more words in that minute than he normally says in a day.

Lucy closed her eyes and dropped her head slightly. She recalled Laxus's words about her being kind. 'Was this what he meant?' she thought as the answer came to her. She picked her head back up and looked at Shino, she was ready to prove herself. She was not going to disappoint anyone any more "Byakugan!" she shouted as she activated her eyes. Shino let out a rare smile. He was ready for the fight.

"Begin!" Genma announced.

"Father? Exactly how strong is Big sister?" Wendy asked.

"Even I don't know that" Hiashi replied. "While she has been training with me these past few weeks, it is true that she has shown some impressive improvement to her skills. From what I have noticed, I will admit that she's not as strong as Neji, but I've noticed that she's been doing some 'extra' training at the nights. I have a feeling that she has something up her sleeve."

Lucy dropped into her Gentle Fist stance. Inside Shino, she could just barely make out chis chakra network as it was being blocked by the charka of his insects. She knew Shino and she knew that she would have to watch out for his insects as they would start draining her chakra. If she got too many on her or this fight lasted too long, Shino would win. She made a charge at him, hoping to take him out before he got a chance to set his insects up. Due to Shino's lack of taijutsu ability, she was able to land a few strikes on him before backing away from the insects coming out of his coat.

"Huh?!" she said. "I thought I hit some of your Chakra points?" In the stands, Hiashi saw it too.

"Yes, but I have found a way to defend against your attacks" Shino said as he sent a cloud of insects towards Lucy. Thanks to the training her father gave her, her speed had greatly increased and she darted around the insects, laying another two blows on Shino. Like the first attack, she failed to close the Chakra points, but figured out why.

"I see, you have your insects take the hit inside instead of your Chakra points" she said.

"Precisely" Shino replied, slightly impressed that she figured his strategy out so fast. Shino sent out even more insects towards Lucy, blocking her vision of him with all the small chakra dots that the insects gave off. She made her way around the insects and charged at Shino. However, she broke off her assault at the last minute, realizing something was wrong. She turned to her side to see the real Shino standing a few yards from her. She diverted her attack to that Shino and landed a few strikes on him. One of her attacks his while the rest were blocked by the insects. However, she got some insects on her and they were able to drain a small amount of chakra before she could get them off.

"Impressive, how did you realize that was not the real me?" he asked.

"All I saw was a blur of chakra coming from the other you" she explained. "It looked as if it was made up of many different sources of chakra. I soon realized that it was an insect clone, thankfully before it was too late." Shino nodded. He unleashed another swarm of insects from his body and they formed a wall in front of her. The insect clone then cut her off from behind while the swarm that he had initially released to guide her to the clone was hovering above. Soon, they had her surrounded. She was not going to get out of this one without getting a lot of insects on her, which would mean that they would drain a lot of chakra from her and she didn't exactly have the largest chakra reserves.

"Big sisters!" Wendy called out from the box. Hiashi looked on as well.

 _'So is this is Lucy? Did the month of training result in this, or do you have something else as I suspect'_ Hiashi said to himself, looking behind him at the Hyuga elders who had that look of shame on their face. One Hyuga had already lost today, and to a 'demon brat' and a second Hyuga looked as if she was about to dishonor the clan yet again.

* * *

*Flashback*

Lucy stood on top of the stream at training ground 8. Those words she heard from the elders, they really did hurt her. What made it worse was that her father was actually supporting her. After that, she knew that she couldn't lose, or else she wouldn't only disappoint her father, but she would be working right into the elder's hands.

What she needed was something that would both impress her father and give her the chance to beat Shino. Being on the same team as Shino, she knew all his abilities, but he knew all of hers. She was standing on top of the water as she realized that training like this not only worked her chakra control, which was probably the strongest aspect of her. While practicing her forms, a slight fluctuation in her chakra caused her feet to destabilize on the surface for a mere second. This was during the middle of one of her strikes, and as such, one of the water droplets got caught in her chakra bursts. Her Byakugan saw it, the water droplet sliced straight into two as her chakra passed through it.

Realizing that this was exactly what she needed, she began to work on rapidly expelling fine chakra blasts from her hands in an area that covered all points around her. While she was starting to get the hang of these small rapid bursts of chakra, they still wouldn't be enough if Shino sent out all of his insects. Now, what if she could sustain the attack? What if she could keep expelling the chakra in a fine and precise manner while maintaining the speed and flexibility of when she sent the small chakra bursts out? It took some time, but she was finally able to refine those bursts into fine beams that emanated from the palms of her hands. Using the natural speed and flexibility that she was discovering that she had, she found that she could reach every point around her body. All she had to do now was test it.

The following night, Lucy had made her way to a waterfall on the outskirts of the village. Thanks to a fallen tree, she had been able to stop the flow of the water momentarily, long enough for her to get into position. When the water finally reached the point where it was flowing over the tree, Lucy had begun to move her arms in a blur, adding chakra to them to increase the speed at which she could move them. The falling water finally made contact with her chakra beams. No water made it within 2m of her.

*End Flashback*

* * *

Shino signaled for his insects to attack and drain her chakra. His strategy for countering the gentle fist had proven rather effective as Lucy also was aware that if she got too many insects on her, they would drain all of her chakra. This kept her from engaging too long. He knew that if she kept up the attack, more and more of his Chakra points would eventually be closed as her strikes knocked out more and more insects. "Looks like it's over, Lucy" Shino called out as his insects began to move in on her.

"I'm sorry Shino…" Lucy said. "Protection of the Eight Trigrams!" With that, Lucy began to move her arms in a frantic looking fashion as she expelled thin chakra beams from her palms. Soon, she was surrounded by the same dome of thin, sharp chakra beams from a few nights ago.

"Father?" Wendy said, looking at her stunned father. "What is that technique?"

Hiashi couldn't find the words for the move that Lucy had come up with. He was observing the event with his own Byakugan active, and what he saw was amazing. The insects that Shino had surrounding her were being sliced and diced within seconds as what looked like small blades of chakra were surrounding Lucy at every angle. What was this technique?

As the dome of cutting chakra came into contact with Shino's beetles, they were cut in half by the sharpness of Lucy's chakra. Shino just stood there stupefied, although it was tough to tell, as Lucy just cut through his insects.

Laxus was looking on in awe at that Jutsu. "Wow! That's amazing!" he shouted out. A few of the people in the contestant's box were impressed while Gajeel remained rather indifferent, thinking to how he was going to kill Freed in their upcoming match.

After a few seconds of cutting apart most of Shino's hive, Lucy began to focus her attention on her opponent. From what her Byakugan could tell, most of the insects within his body had left to attack her, leaving his Chakra points vulnerable. She put enough energy into her current technique to give her an opening. "Gentle Fist: Eight trigrams, Thirty-two palms!" she said, cancelling her protection and slipping into the Eight Trigrams stance. Before Shino's insects could get to her to stop her attack, it was too late and she began lashing out with her attack. Without any insects to block her chakra bursts, his Chakra points were vulnerable and she was able to close them. Shino crumpled to the ground, unable to move from her attack as his insects returned to their master. Despite the fact that they could give him chakra, the insects did not necessarily know how to open Chakra points and Shino was done. At the same time, Lucy had managed to cut his hive down to roughly 1/3 of its original numbers and he knew that any more attacks with his insects would just be countered by her protection. "Proctor, I surrender" Shino announced. "I am no longer able to move and my insects appear to be ineffective against my opponent."

Genma nodded at Shino's submission. "Winner: Lucy Hyuga Heartfillia!"

Most of the crowd stood up and applauded the victorious Hyuga; however to say that some were ecstatic would be an understatement. Laxus was so happy at Lucy's victory that he wasn't watching where he was going. He nearly fell of the railing. If it hadn't been for Cana and Shikamaru grabbing his feet, he would have fallen.

Elfman was howling like mad up in the stands and Kurenai was forced to rely on Asuma to control her emotions. As Lucy and Shino left the arena, Genma announced the next match. Before leaving, Lucy looked up at her father, who was giving her applause and the approval from his she was seeking.

However, her victory was bitter sweet Looking behind her father at the clan elders, she could still see the looks of disappointment on their faces, unchanged even after that display. Apparently, they still saw her as a failure and it was expected that she should have been able to defeat someone from an inferior clan, as they saw it.

At the same time, Hiashi now seriously doubted if Lucy would even be able to put up a fight in her next match and unfortunately, the elders would see this as a sign of weakness if what he feared happened.

"The next match will be Freed Uchiha Justine vs. Gajeel Redfox!" he announced.

 **A/N:Finally finished. This chapter is over 7000 words sorry it took so long to update I just got back from a trip with my family. You'll be in for a trip next chapter. Also if your curious about Laxus fantasia memory this will not be the only time this happens and why this will happen will not be explained until the last few chapters of book 3 so have fun trying to figure that out.**

 **Hope you enjoyed. Reviews and Comments are appreciated.**


	21. The End of the Chunin Exams

**A/N: Alright, today is my birthday so here is my present from here to you. Also while I do enjoy comments especially constructive criticism I don't enjoy Flames and ask that everyone to please keep that in mind. Especially The latest commenter. This is dedicated to Guest and Keep In mind that the first person to comment will be dedicated.**

 **Hope you enjoy**

* * *

"Haha, you won, Lucy!" Laxus shouted as Lucy came back to the contestants' box. He then proceeded to give her a big hug. If they were in a match, Laxus would have won as Lucy fainted upon that with a clueless Laxus staring down at her.

"Will Freed Uchiha Justine please report to the arena?" Genma announced as Gajeel had already made his way to the arena. However, Freed had not shown.

* * *

"The crowd is becoming quite restless" the Kazekage said to the Hokage.

"Yes, that sure was a great match" replied the Hokage.

"I'm sure that is part of the reason, but its most likely because of this next match. For experienced lords and shinobi leaders, there isn't a match they'd enjoy more" said the Kazekage, referring to Freed and Gajeel's match. "By the way, where is he?"

One of the Hokage's guards whispered in his ear that Freed was still missing. He also mentioned the question of Orochimaru.

* * *

"What's going on?" Mira said. "Where's Freed? Is he even here for his match?" She looked over at Evergreen and Bickslow and saw that something was up.

"What the heck is that guy doing? Is he even planning on coming?" Shikamaru said.

"Of course he's coming, this is Freed after all. He's not going to pass up a chance to fight Gajeel" replied Laxus. _'Freed, what's taking you so long?'_

* * *

"We have no choice" the Hokage said. "The rules say he must be disqualified."

"Lord Hokage. Please wait a little longer before disqualifying him" requested the Kazekage.

"I beg your pardon, but anyone who takes punctuality lightly doesn't have what it takes to be a chunin" the Hokage's guard said. "Unless there is a suitable reason for the Lords to wait, we must go on as scheduled."

"I see" said the Kazekage. "If that is the case, then there is a more than suitable reason. The majority of the shinobi Lords are here because of this match, including myself. Freed is a member of the Uchiha clan after all, and we of the Wind country request that our Gajeel be given the chance to fight him."

"Lord Hokage what should we do?" asked his guard.

"There is no guarantee that Freed will come, but at least we can postpone his match until the very end. We will make this exception and have the match later on" said the Hokage. With that, the guard went to inform the examiner.

Baki remembered what Gajeel said to him a few days ago. _'Did he really kill him?'_ Baki thought.

* * *

Hiashi found this little interruption to be a suitable time to finally have a chat with Neji.

Neji was in the stadium's infirmary, recovering from the match and reflecting on a few things that Laxus had said.

"Huh?...Oh, Lord Hyuga" one of the medic said.

"Sorry, but could you leave us alone for a little?" requested the Hyuga lord.

Neji struggled to sit up, still sore. "What do you want?" he said harshly.

"I came to tell you the truth of that day" Hiashi said.

"Truth?" asked Neji.

Hiashi nodded. "That day, I was fully prepared to die." Hiashi's comment struck Neji.

"What?! What are you talking about? That time my father was killed to take your place!" declared Neji.

"The results may appear that way, but that is not the truth" claimed Hiashi.

"What, after all these years?" replied a disbelieving Neji.

"I'm telling you after all these years because I thought you would believe me now" said Hiashi.

* * *

*Flashback*

Hiashi was standing in front of the Hokage and a few members of the Hyuga council, including his brother Hizashi. "There is no choice then, if it will prevent another war" said Hiashi to the Hokage.

"Hold on Hiashi" said one of the Hyuga elders. "The advanced blood of the Hyuga is a valuable trump card to this village. The duty of protecting it belongs to the main family."

"But before that duty, if the village is drawn into a dangerous situation…" said Hiashi.

"I know" replied the elder. "That is why the branch family exists. We will hand over Hizashi's body in place of yours. He has already agreed."

"But what they want is the secrets of the Byakugan. Once Hizashi is killed, they will be sealed away!" stated Hiashi.

"No. All we agreed to was to hand over the body of Hiashi Hyuga" claimed the elder. If we act like we agreed and hand over Hizashi's body, which is an exact duplicate of yours, they won't be able to complain any further."

Hiashi did not agree with this plan, especially sacrificing his brother in his stead. "Hiashi, the time must come for each generation where they must protect the Hyuga blood in this way. You must have the heart to let go of even a sibling to protect that blood…That is the destiny of the main family and that's the destiny of those born as Hyuga."

Hizashi spoke up. "What happened to the always valiant Lord Hiashi?" taunted Hizashi.

"This is different than anything from the past! I can't…" Hiashi was cut off as Hizashi slammed his palm into his brother's stomach.

"Please let me go" Hizashi said.

"W-why? You have Neji" Hiashi managed to get out, trying to catch his breath. "Why for the main family do you chose death?"

"That's incorrect" stated Hizashi, shocking both Hiashi and the elder. "I have always hated the main family and I still do. That is why I am doing this to save you as my brother, not a member of the main family. This is the first time I have had the freedom to choose. I have only shown my ugly side to Neji…yet here, I finally understand my own will."

The entire room remained silent at Hizashi's comments. "Please tell Neji this…I am not being killed to protect the main family. To protect Neji, my brother, my family, and the entire village, I choose death by my own will" explained Hizashi.

Hiashi couldn't quite understand. "Choosing death is freedom?"

"Brother, I wanted, just once, to disobey the Hyuga destiny, that is all" Hizashi stated.

*End Flashback*

* * *

"That is the whole truth" said Hiashi as he told his story to Neji.

"Why should I believe a story like that?!" shouted Neji in disbelief. "It's some lie made up by the main family! After all these years!..."

"I thought that was what you were going to say. That is why I waited after all these years to tell you until now. I wanted to tell you Hizashi's final words, not as a member of the main family, but as his brother."

Neji looked down, taking it all in. When he looked up, he saw something no branch member had ever seen before. Hiashi was bowing before Neji, begging for Neji to believe him.

"Please…raise your head…"said Neji calmly. Hiashi left the room, but not before giving Neji a letter in his father's handwriting, explaining everything in his own words.

 _'Father…is a person's destiny a thing like a cloud flowing with an inescapable flow? Or can a person choose the flow he wishes?'_ Neji thought _. 'I still don't know the answer. Either way, the destination may be the same in the end. However, by choosing to live like the latter, a person can live and strive towards a goal, and in this match I finally understand that those who have that are truly strong. Father, I now have but one goal. I want to become stronger so that I may not lose to anyone ever again.'_

* * *

"Oh, Lucy? What are you doing down here?" Hiashi said, running into his daughter down in the infirmary.

"Um…I was just making sure Shino was okay" Lucy replied. She was wondering if she would get something more from her father for once. However, after some time, Hiashi remained silent. She decided to return to the competitors' box.

"Lucy…" Hiashi said, causing his daughter to stop. "That technique, what was it?"

"Umm…well…It was what I was working on outside our training sessions. I…I call it the Protection of the Eight Trigrams" she explained. "I needed something to defend against Shino's insects and I came up with that. Unlike the Eight-trigrams: palm Rotation , which utilizes a charka pulse to repel attacks, the chakra is so thin that it cuts whatever hits it instead of pushing it away."

"Hmm, I see" Hiashi said, pausing for a moment, worrying Lucy a little. "It was good. I was impressed." Lucy picked up her head, glad that her father had finally begun to recognize that she did in fact have talent as a shinobi. "Now, go back to the stands, the other matches should be starting soon and you shouldn't miss them."

* * *

Back in the stadium, the Hokage's guard had informed Genma to proceed to the next match and to postpone Freed's match to the end of the first round. Some of the crowd was upset, but it was better than there being no match at all. For Gajeel, at least there would still be an opportunity to kill Freed.

"Alright, we will go ahead with the next match, Cana Yuki Alberona and Yugito Nii, please step down to the arena" Genma announced.

* * *

As the two of them proceeded to the arena, Lucy made her way back to the contestants' box. "Hey Laxus, Lucy, you know the two of you are going to have to fight, right?" Shikamaru stated.

 _'F-Fight L-l-Laxus?…'_ Lucy thought, her mind going blank. Laxus didn't like the sound of fighting Lucy. He didn't want to hurt Lucy, but at the same time, he didn't want to forfeit. Now, both he and Lucy almost regretted winning their match. Temari was getting quite a laugh as the two of them went completely silent and Lucy turned red.

"Begin!" Genma announced as Cana and Yugito began their match.

Yugito made the first move by launching her Fire Style: Fiery Hellcat Jutsu at Cana.

"Water Style: Water Wall!" Cana said, creating a wall of water in front of himself to block the flaming cats.

 _'Damn…I guess she can use water style ninjutsu since she can use ice style. And I'm a fire style user. This will be difficult, not to mention that I can't exactly use the power of the Two tails too freely'_ Yugito thought.

 **"Yes, sadly I cannot help. From what I understood with Laxus, he was even pushing it by tapping into Kurama's power. Although I can give you a little bit. Kurama mentioned that was enough to defeat Cana's ice style."** Matatabi said to Yugito.

"Ice Style: Ice prison!" Cana shouted while Yugito was still in conversation with her demon. Ice shot towards Yugito along the trail of water on the ground that had been laid while Cana was using the water wall. The ice surrounded Yugito, encasing her in a block of ice. The entire audience stared in awe at Cana's ability. Many of them were simply not familiar with ice style and they were interested to see its true ability.

"What was that technique?" Mira asked Evergreen.

"It's her Ice Prison. One of the techniques I helped her develop over the past month" Zabuza said, joining the group in the stands. Needless to say, the former Demon of the Hidden Mist got a few looks. Some people, especially those from out of town, did not expect to see him here, let alone wearing a Leaf headband.

"Ice?" Mira and Elfman asked.

"Yes, the Ice style. It's a blood line that belonged to the Yuki clan before they were all but eliminated during the Hidden Mist's blood line purges. As far as I know, Cana is the only one left who has the blood line" explained Zabuza.

"But Zabuza, I have heard that there are ninja in the Land of Snow that can use ice style Jutsu" Asuma said.

"Yes, I am aware of that. However, Cana's blood line is the true Ice Style, and is more powerful than their ice style Jutsu" explained Zabuza.

"Wow, so Cana is really that powerful?" asked Mira. Zabuza just nodded to her question.

 _'Damn'_ thought Yugito. _'Looks like I am going to have to tap into your power, Matatabi.'_ With that, Yugito felt some of Matatabi's chakra flood her system.

 **"This is all I can give you. Remember, we were warned by the Raikage not to use it, hoping to keep this fact relatively secret. We jeopardized it by talking to Laxus, but it appears as if he hasn't told anyone"** replied the Ghost Cat. While she was a jinchuriki fully capable of controlling her beast, Yugito being a jinchuriki was completely unknown outside the Hidden Cloud, with the exception of Team 7. The Raikage wanted to keep it that way as he wanted to have one secret weapon if the time came that Killer Bee, the jinchuriki of the Eight Tails and the only other jinchuriki besides Laxus and Yugito to be in good standings with his beast, wasn't enough. This was why she couldn't fully tap into the Two tails' power this time around.

With the demon chakra, Yugito was able to break out of Cana's Jutsu and charged forward at high speeds. Cana was prepared for this and had already frozen most of the water puddled on the ground. Thanks to the blood limit, Cana was able to walk on the ice without slipping. That was not the case for Yugito. Cana just sidestepped her as she slid by. When Yugito finally was able to stabilize herself, Cana had already prepared his next attack. "Ice Style: Ice prison!" The ice slowly began to encase Yugito, but she was able to break free as the demonic chakra was still flowing through her system.

"Fire Style: Fiery Claws!" Yugito said, creating claws of fire on both her hands and feet. She darted at Cana, claws at the ready. Thanks to the heat generated from the claws, the ice beneath her feet melted almost instantly, giving her some traction on the ice. She trusted her claws towards Cana, impaling him in the chest.

"Heh! Got you" she said.

"Cana!" Laxus shouted up in the competitors' box.

"No. She didn't get her" Lucy said, her Byakugan active. "There is no chakra network in that Cana, it's just a water clone."

"Huh?" Laxus said. "But I thought all clones had chakra networks, like my shadow clones."

"N-No. Shadow clones are one of the few clone types that exhibit a distinct chakra system" explained Lucy.

As Lucy explained, the impaled Cana burst into water, revealing it to be a water clone, soaking Yugito in the process. "Ice Style: Ice Prison!" shouted Cana as Yugito was instantly frozen. Unlike the last time, the ice did not creep have around her as she was already soaked in water. Instead, she was instantly frozen. Cana managed to leave her head unfrozen as he walked up to her and held a senbon to her neck. "Surrender" Cana said, giving Yugito only one option.

 _'Damn. I can't use anymore demonic chakra without giving anything away and it's as if this ice is frozen into me, not around me like the last times. I can't move'_ thought Yugito, in a tight position. "Fine. I surrender."

"Winner: Cana Yuki Alberona" Genma announced as cheers erupted from the stadium.

* * *

"An interesting ability that one has" said the Kazekage.

"Yes, I would agree. And she demonstrated rather good mastery of it as well" the Hokage said.

Cana unfroze Yugito, who had to then go to the infirmary to be treated for a major case of frost burn.

"This ice kid's not bad" said Kotetsu to Izumo.

"Yeah, she showed a good mastery at using her abilities and even showed that she was a fairly good strategist, coming up with the idea of using the water clone to soak her and increase the potency of her ice" commented Izumo. Zabuza overheard their conversation and smiled a little. While they had not completely hit Cana's abilities, they were rather close.

Knowing that she was next, Temari whipped out her fan and floated down to the middle of the arena.

* * *

"Looks like you are eager to start" said Genma. "Shikamaru! Get down here!"

'What's she getting all excited about? I wish she would just die' thought Shikamaru, who obviously didn't want to be there. 'Well, I guess I could forfeit and…'

"Let's go Shikamaru!" Shouted Laxus as he pushed Shikamaru over the railing and onto the floor of the arena. Apparently, Laxus had gotten over the fact that he had to fight Lucy next and wanted to get to Shikamaru's fight.

 _'That had to hurt'_ thought Temari, watching the whole ordeal.

"Hey! Hurry up and fight!" The crowd yelled as they started to throw stuff at Shikamaru, who was lying on the ground still.

"Everyone wants to see Freed's fight. They are probably angry because after all this waiting, they have to watch this fight" sighed Shikamaru. He then looked at his opponent. "Troublesome".

"What are you giving up already?" asked Temari.

"Well, it's not like he was motivated to begin with" said Asuma to the group of Leaf ninja in the stands.

"Good Luck! Shikamaru!" Shouted Laxus.

"Fine, if you won't come at me, I will" shouted Temari as she charged.

"Oh man, that girl is really revved up" said Shikamaru as he pulled two kunai from his back pouch. Temari slammed her fan down on top of Shikamaru, kicking up a cloud of dust. "Ya know, I really don't want to fight, and I don't care if I become a chunin or not, but I'm not going to lose to a girl." Shikamaru was up against the wall, about three feet off the ground, using the kunai to support him. Temari opened her fan and sent a gust of wind sailing towards Shikamaru.

"Hmph, he's good at running away" she said as Shikamaru dodged the attack, running into the trees.

"Can't have a guy lose to a girl, but even so, I can't go around hitting her" he said.

"YEAH SHIKAMARU! Beat her up!" Mira said, slipping into crazed Shinobi mode.

 _'Hmm, he's a ninja who uses shadows, so he's probably trying to lure me into those trees'_ thought Temari, analyzing Shikamaru's techniques.

"Hey Mira? Wasn't it supposed to be Freed's match next?" Chouji asked, worrying Evergreen in the process.

'Best to leave her alone right now' Mira thought, looking over at Evergreen.

"Heh, Shikamaru in the finals seems really out of place, doesn't it?" said Chouji.

"Don't say that" argued Mira. "Sure he may not have many special techniques, but he's great at coming up with strategies. I get the feeling that is how we were able to survive until the finals."

"Mmm, yeah. But he'll give up soon" said Chouji, munching on a bag of chips. "He thinks things are too much of a hassle. I'm telling you, he's definitely going to give up soon."

"And I'm saying he won't" said Mira, getting into the match. "Just now, he jumped down into the ring on his own, so he must be fired up! Go Shikamaru!"

 _'That's because Laxus pushed him off the ledge'_ Elfman and Bickslow thought.

Back in the ring, Shikamaru had been staring up at the clouds for the past 5 minutes. _'And I only became a ninja because I thought my life would be more interesting as one'_ he thought. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the hole that Laxus had made back in his match. _'I guess things aren't going to be that simple.'_

Wondering what Shikamaru was doing, Temari sent a huge gust of wind towards Shikamaru. Even the audience felt the gust. As her gust subsided, a shadow came bolting out of the woods towards her. Temari back flipped out of the way, coming to a stop once it couldn't reach any further.

"I've seen through your shadow possession Jutsu" she said. "Looks like there is a limit to how much you can stretch and shrink your shadow. No matter how much you change and shape your shadow, you still can't stretch it any further than the surface area of your original shadow…right?"

 _'So she figured it out'_ thought Shikamaru.

Temari analyzed Shikamaru's technique, taking into account the size of the wall's shadow and her distance from it. Suddenly, Shikamaru made a seal with his hands. No one recognized it, except Asuma.

"What's that seal?" Kurenai asked.

"It's not a seal" replied Asuma. "It's more like a habit. He knows how to slowly take his time. He actually enjoys it, like one of those old geezers. That's why he enjoys stuff like shougi. I've played against him a lot recently and he always does this when backed into a corner. It's a sign that he's working on some strategy. As a result, I've never beaten him before."

Kurenai looked at him as if he were a little crazy. "You speak of strategies, but this is a real fight" she said.

"Yes, but it is said that those games have their roots as devices for tacticians to plot their wars with" explained Asuma. "I guess you could say that Shikamaru's a shrewd tactician."

"Shrewd? Hold on a minute! His grades were no better than Laxus's" said Kurenai.

"Hm, he always said those testes were too much of a hassle to even move the pencil on paper. It seems like he would always sleep through his tests" explained Asuma, with Kurenai and the other genin listening in. "Once, it struck me that he could be so good at strategic games and have poor grades. So I had him take an IQ test disguised as a game."

"So, how was it?" Asked Kurenai.

Asuma let out a little laugh. "He sure is a diamond in a rough. He's a super genius with an IQ of over 200!"

"200?!" said Kurenai. The other genin, with the exception of Elfman, who didn't really know what IQ meant, were shocked. Chouji wasn't sure of the meaning of this IQ thing either, but he knew the full range of Shikamaru's intelligence as they had been best friends ever since childhood.

Shikamaru released his hands, indicating that he was done. Seeing that he was done as well, Temari whipped her fan, creating another massive gust of wind. When it subsided, a kunai came flying at her, which she blocked with her fan. Then, Shikamaru's shadow struck again. She thought she was safe as she was behind her safety line, but when the shadow didn't slow down, Temari had no choice but to start back peddling.

"Very good, you saw through it" said Shikamaru.

"I see, you were buying time for the sun to drop lower so that would increase the length of your shadow" explained Temari.

"TEMARI! Above!" shouted Kankuro from the stands. Everyone looked up to see what Kankuro was talking about and Temari saw it. Shikamaru had tied his coat to a kunai as a parachute. After a few seconds, another shadow appeared on the ground where the tip of Shikamaru's shadow was, allowing it to extend forward more towards Temari. Thanks to quick reflexes, Temari was able to back pedal away from this one as well. Eventually, she stopped as Shikamaru's shadow could not stretch anymore.

"Damn, his plan wasn't good enough" Kurenai said.

"Yeah, his opponent is pretty bright to" explained Asuma.

"This isn't good. As time passes, his shadow gets more of a reach" Temari said. 'I'll end it right here'. Temari made a hand seal, but was stopped mid seal. "What?!"

Everyone looked on at what had just happened. "Heh, finally. Shadow possession Jutsu is a success" claimed Shikamaru. She didn't know what just happened. She was sure that she had evaded all his attacks. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a second kunai hit the ground with his shirt attached to it. The first one had just been a distraction from the second one and he used the first kunai with his jacket to push Temari more towards the second one.

"Heh, checkmate" Asuma said. In the arena, Shikamaru moved Temari against her will towards the center of the arena.

 _'Suddenly, everyone's into this fight'_ Izumo thought.

 _'The guy nobody took seriously just became a dark horse'_ Kotetsu thought.

"Yeah! Do it, Shikamaru!" shouted Mira. Next to her, Chouji's pace of eating had increased dramatically.

"I give up!" Shikamaru announced.

"…WHAT?!" could be heard from all over the stands. Laxus and Mira almost lost it.

"Heh, I told you he'd give up" said Chouji, his pace returning to normal.

"W-what?" Temari said.

"I said, I give up" repeated Shikamaru. "I barely have enough chakra to hold this Jutsu for 10 more seconds. I had about 200 more moves planned out, but I'm out of time. Besides, I'm getting tired of this, 1 match is enough for me."

"Winner: Temari!" Genma announced as Shikamaru recalled his shadow.

* * *

 _'Hmm, that's child's intellect is well beyond that of a genin. If it was an actual 4 man team, Shikamaru's victory would have been definite the moment he caught her'_ thought Kurenai. 'It's like he won the battle, but lost the match.'

 _'While it's true and unfortunate that he does not have any motivation, you could say it allows him to stay calm and collected while making decisions'_ thought Asuma. _'Because he knows his own strengths, he doesn't panic and doesn't lose his cool, allowing him to stay calm. When you talk about the mental make-up for a chunin, Shikamaru has the most important abilities that would make for a good leader.'_

"Hmm, when you measure the value of a small unit leader, protecting the team from danger is usually more important than completing the mission" said Izumo.

"In information gathering you can't be saying 'I completed my mission, but my team was wiped out'" said Kotetsu. "You need a leader that can balance the risks, sacrifice and mission on scale. If you can't act and think with the lives of the team as the top priority, you don't have what it takes to be a chunin."

"Well, on that point, Laxus and Neji were no good. I don't think Lucy is ready yet and neither is Shino. Cana, possibly. She has talent and potential, but I'm not sure yet" Izumo said. "What do you think?"

"He's got a better chance than Laxus" Kotetsu replied. At that time, Laxus jumped down into the arena to lecture Shikamaru about giving up like that.

* * *

"Why'd you give up?!" Laxus said.

"Forget about it, let's just enjoy the next fight" replied Shikamaru. Laxus had forgotten that Freed's fight was next and got all excited.

"Oh, you're here" one of the arena guards said greeting their guest.

"Okay! Let's go Lee!" shouted Gai. The two had made it just in time for Freed and Gajeel's match.

"The first round has almost been completed, only Freed and Gajeel's match remain" the guard said.

"The Laxus and Neji match was…" Lee said, wondering who the victor was.

"It's surprising, the Hyuga lost that match, although the other Hyuga won her match" informed the guard. "Cana beat the Cloud girl and the last match, well…Shikamaru won, but forfeited, saying it was too much work." Lee and Gai had a laugh at the last comment. The entire Nara family was known for their laziness and Shikamaru was no exception. However, what impressed them the most was Laxus's victory over Neji.

"Where's the Uchiha!" the crowd shouted, anxious for the next fight to begin.

In the contestants' box, Gajeel began to head down to the arena. "Is he really going to come?" asked Temari.

"Yeah, he'll come" replied Gajeel. Suddenly, a swirl of leaves appeared in the middle of the arena. When it cleared, there was Kakashi standing with Freed.

"Sorry we're late" said Kakashi. For some reason, Laxus wasn't surprised by this.

"Freed!" Lee said, finding his seat in the stands with the rest of his friends. Everyone was glad to see him out of the hospital and walking.

"Hmph, from your excitement, you won the first round?" Freed asked Laxus.

"Of course!" Laxus said with a big grin.

"Sorry for the tardiness, I hope Freed hasn't been disqualified" said Kakashi.

"Don't worry, you're just in time. We pushed his fight to the very end" Genma said. "And your tardiness is starting to rub off."

"That's good" said Kakashi. He left Freed in the arena and proceeded to the stands. Laxus and Shikamaru wished him good luck and proceeded back to the competitors' box.

Next to them, Lee was hurting. Freed was now fighting Gajeel and Laxus had just beaten Neji, his rival. Yet Lee was stuck with a crippled arm and leg and his career as a shinobi in doubt. Only his sensei could see his student's pain.

As Laxus and Shikamaru were walking up, they heard two screams coming from the hall. Once the screams stopped, Gajeel came calmly walking out. Laxus and Shikamaru were horrified at the act Gajeel just committed. "I-if those two hadn't been there, we would probably be dead" said Shikamaru, Laxus agreeing with him. "I've never seen a guy who could kill with so little hesitation; even Freed could be in trouble."

"We've gotta go find Kakashi-sensei and have him stop the match" Laxus said.

"Heya Gai, and you too Lee, your body alright?" Kakashi said, coming up to the stands.

 _'Kakashi-sensei'_ Evergreen and Bickslow thought, showing a little bit of anger on their faces.

 _'Evergreen and Bickslow must be pretty mad at him'_ Mira thought, looking at her friend.

"Begin!" Genma announced as the match began.

Gajeel's sand was already pouring out of the gourd, causing Freed to back away. Gajeel bent down and clutched his head in pain, the demon inside him becoming even more bloodthirsty. "Mother, I am sorry I fed you some nasty blood earlier, but his…his will be delicious!" said a sadistic Gajeel.

' _What the hell?!'_ thought Freed. The realization came to him that this match, someone WAS going to die.

"Damn, 'conversation' has begun" said Kankuro, who was joined by Temari in the stands.

"I've never seen him like this before. It's going to get bad" said Temari.

Freed threw a few shuriken at Gajeel, only for the sand to block them. Gajeel's sand proceeded to take on a human shape, effectively becoming a sand clone. It shot some sand out at Freed, who dodged the attack. Freed engaged the sand clone, only for his hand to get caught. Before Gajeel could do anything more to the trapped Freed, he freed himself from the sand with a thrust. Freed resumed his assault, attacking Gajeel, but quickly moving behind hind him, just as Lee had done in the preliminaries.

 _'Fast! Just like him!'_ Gajeel thought, recalling the earlier fight. Freed was too fast for the sand and landed a punch on Gajeel's face, cracking the sand armor.

 _'His taijutsu is the same as mine'_ thought Lee.

Imitating Lee's style, Freed continued the assault landing a few more blows on Gajeel.

 _'His speed is like that of Lee's without the weights…'_ thought Gai. He looked over at Kakashi, who just returned a smile. 'What did you do Kakashi?'

 _'Freed, you are a genius that surpasses my imagination. How many years did it take for me to gain that speed? And yet only a month for you'_ thought Lee. However, he noticed Freed panting. _'But as expected, keeping up that speed requires a great amount of stamina.'_

"What kind of training did you do?" Gai asked Kakashi. "To come this far in only a month."

"I had Freed copy Lee's taijutsu earlier. During training I had him working on Lee's style" Kakashi said, confirming Gai's suspicions. "It was a lot of work, but because he had seen Lee in action before, he was able to copy him. Why did you bother only on training his taijutsu?"

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" shouted Freed, backing away from Gajeel and shooting his fireball at him. The fire made contact with a wall of sand; however, Freed noticed something. Small chunks of sand had turned into glass and fell away from the wall. This was what he was looking for, only he needed a more powerful flame to get most of the sand.

"Kakashi-sensei!" shouted Laxus as he and Shikamaru arrived in the stands with Shikamaru dropping to his knees panting. Lucy followed closely behind, wondering what was up when Laxus and Shikamaru went racing through the contestant's box. "Stop the match now! That Gajeel kid's not normal! He's a jinchuriki who's gone completely bloodthirsty and insane! His only purpose in life is to mindlessly kill others!"

Most of the genin in the stands were confused by Laxus referring to Gajeel as a jinchuriki, not knowing what exactly it was. However, the jonin, chunin, Evergreen and Bickslow had looks of fear on their faces, now realizing what Freed was up against.

Kakashi regained himself. "Don't worry Laxus, we weren't late for nothing" said the Copy Ninja. Out of the corner of his eyes, he caught Evergreen's and Bickslow's reaction to Laxus's claim. _'If he knows what a jinchuriki is, then he knows about the Nine-tails. However, Evergreen and Bickslow seemed to know, but how?'_

"What do you mean, not late for nothing?" Evergreen and Bickslow asked at the same time.

"We don't have time for this!" shouted Laxus.

"Just be quiet and watch" Kakashi said.

Gajeel began to wrap himself in a cocoon of sand and Freed saw this as his opportunity to eliminate most of Gajeel's sand. Gathering his chakra, he flipped through about a half dozen hand seals. "Fire Style: Dragon Fire Breath!" he declared as the flamethrower shot towards Gajeel, encasing him in flames as if he was being baked.

"Did that?..." said Evergreen, wondering if that last attack had managed to do some serious damage to Gajeel. Once the flames cleared, it was obvious as to what Freed had done. Most of the cocoon had become glass, except for a small layer of sand near the very core.

"Wait? What just happened?" asked Laxus.

"Laxus, what happens when you superheat sand?" asked Kakashi. Laxus didn't know the answer until he looked at Gajeel.

"Oh! It turns into glass?!" he said, realizing what Freed's strategy had been.

 **"Ah, just like good old times. I miss the days of turning the One Tail into a glass statue"** joked Kurama. **"Although, his fire wasn't quite powerful enough to bake the entire ball."**

Back in the arena, Freed was going to end it right here. He took a few steps back as the glass began to flake away from the cocoon. After finishing the hand seals, Freed's hand began to glow a blue color and a chirping noise could be heard.

"No way! Is that…?" said Gai, watching Freed's Jutsu.

"Kakashi?" Zabuza asked. From the looks of it, that was the same Jutsu that he was almost impaled by in the Land of Waves.

"The reason I trained Freed, is because he's the same type as me" stated Kakashi. Most of the genin in the stands were amazed at Freed's new technique.

"Now I see why you trained him in taijutsu and greatly raised his speed" Gai realized. Freed began his charge.

"What's going on?" asked Evergreen. "You can clearly see the chakra in his hand."

"Yeah, I'm going to rip his head off. And then I'm going to crack it open so you can have all the blood in it" said Gajeel to his inner demon. "I'm such a good boy. I just want to make you happy mother."

Everyone looked on as the Uchiha charged at the sand/glass ball, his hand charged with a crackling chakra.

"What's that technique and sound?" asked Evergreen.

"A simple stab" explained Gai. "But it's the Leaf's number one tactician, copy ninja Kakashi Hatake's, only original technique. A technique designed specifically for assassinations. Because the chakra is concentrated at hand and the speed of the user, it gives off that chi chi chi sound. A thousand birds running towards you, that technique is called…"

Freed's hand impaled the ball, as it was now leaking some blood. Freed had drawn Gajeel's blood. "Chidori, or the Lightning edge" Gai said. "Given that nickname when Kakashi cut a bolt of lightning with it"

Everyone stood in awe at Freed's attack and Zabuza was now aware of what he had managed to avoid just a few months ago. Freed's Chidori cut through the remaining ball of sand like butter, impaling Gajeel in the shoulder and causing him to actually bleed for the first time in his life. A scream of pain could be heard through the stadium as feathers began to fall from the sky. The time had come for Orochimaru's forces and the Sand to make their move.

* * *

 **Reviews and comments are greatly appreciated.**


	22. Invasion

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or fairy tail and the first person to comment will be dedicated**

* * *

A pain filled scream was heard throughout the stadium and feathers began to fall down from the sky. The more experienced jonin, chunin, and even a few genin recognized that this was genjutsu. As those who recognized what was happening dispelled the effects of the genjutsu, the Sand shinobi in the audience and the Sound shinobi, disguised as civilians in the audience leapt into action as they began their assault.

In the stadium, Freed was forced back as an arm extended out of the ball, pushing him back and trying to grab onto him at the same time.

 **"Damn Kit, this could get really bad"** said the Fox as Laxus was still watching Freed's fight while the fighting in the stands had just begun.

In the stands, most of the chunin and jonin had already dispelled their genjutsu. Evergreen, having the intelligence and capability to use genjutsu, dispelled hers and Bickslow's, and Lucy did the same, being the student of The Leaf's 'Genjutsu Mistress'. Unfortunately for another of her teammates, this wasn't the case as Elfman fell asleep almost instantly. On the other hand, Laxus had no idea what to make of the feathers and he would have fallen under the effects of the genjutsu if it hadn't been for the giant Fox that lived in his head, who was already sending out small bursts of chakra to disrupt the genjutsu.

* * *

 _'So Kabuto has started his move'_ the Kazekage thought, looking over at the Hokage. He knew what was going on, that wasn't the Kazekage. The two guards popped a smoke screen. Once the smoke settled, the Kazekage had the Hokage with a knife held to his neck.

Everyone from the Sand and Sound recognized the signal and began their attack. All throughout the stadium, sounds could be heard of the Leaf ninja engaging with one another. Outside the village, a giant three-headed snake had appeared and began rampaging through the outskirts of the village.

Upon seeing their Hokage being held captive, a team of ANBU attempted a rescue, only to be intercepted by the 'Kazekage's' guards. The guards were quickly dispatched, although they revealed themselves to actually be four Sound ninja posing as two guards. They took up a position around the roof top that the two kages were. "Ninja art: Quad Purple Flame Wall!" the four Sound ninja shouted in unison. A purple wall of flame rose around the area where the Kages were. One of the ANBU tried to burst through the wall, but caught flame was he was repelled. The Hokage was on his own to face his foe.

"For The Sand to betray The Leaf" the Hokage said to his captor.

"An alliance is only useful to camouflage and make the enemy lower his guard. The stupid fighting games end here, history will change."

"You want to start a war?" the Hokage asked.

"Precisely" the Kazekage said.

"You should avoid conflict and seek out diplomatic solutions. There is still time" said the Hokage.

"Heh…do we become peace loving fools when we age…Sarutobi-sensei?" the Kazekage hissed.

"You!" said the Hokage.

* * *

Baki, Kankuro, and Temari jumped down besides Gajeel, as the cocoon of sand peeled away to reveal Gajeel clutching his head in pain. "With Gajeel like this, what are we supposed to do?" asked Temari as Baki was thinking on a new strategy. Gajeel was the Sand's trump card and even with the Sound's help, it would be difficult to defeat the Leaf without Gajeel.

"You two get Gajeel out of here and try and prepare him for the plan" ordered Baki. Temari and Kankuro obliged and took their brother out of the stadium.

"Is the leader of your party Orochimaru?" Genma asked Baki as the two faced each other.

"Who knows, let's just have some fun?" responded Baki.

"What the hell is going on?!" shouted a confused Freed.

"Freed, sorry but the chunin exams are now over" explained Genma. "The Leaf is under attack by a combination of Sand and Sound shinobi. If you are a Leaf shinobi, then return to your sensei, gather a team and stop Gajeel from carrying out whatever plan he may have."

"So what kind of guy is this Orochimaru?" a ninja asked on the outer wall of the village. A group of upper level chunin and jonin level ninja had been deployed to the outer wall to defend against the invading ninja.

"He was formerly, the Third Hokage's student" replied Ibiki.

"Why did he become a missing nin?" another guard asked.

"Because, when the Fourth Hokage was chosen, Orochimaru felt he was the better choice, but he wasn't chosen" Ibiki replied. "Pretty soon after that, he defected from the village. From that, Orochimaru most likely holds a grudge against the Third Hokage."

"Revenge?" one of the guards asked a little shook.

"Most likely. When I saw him as a child, there was only one thought going through my head…" stated Ibiki. "That he wasn't human. He was only wearing a human shape…I was afraid…absolutely terrified."

At that time, another guard appeared on the platform they were stationed on. "Report!" the newly arriving ninja said. "Giant serpents have appeared at the eastern entrance of The Leaf and approximately 100 Sand ninja have begun invading the village!"

"Have all shinobi assume their positions and get in contact with the commander of the eastern gate!" ordered Ibiki as everyone obeyed.

* * *

"I see, so that's how it is" responded the Hokage.

"Your foolishness has caused the Leaf to fall further behind. I have won" claimed the Kazekage, ripping off his face to reveal…

"Orochimaru!" said the Hokage. "I thought this day would come eventually, but you won't get my head so easily."

"I told you that you should have picked the Fifth Hokage. Because you will die here today, Third Hokage" sneered Orochimaru.

* * *

Kakashi, Gai, Zabuza, and the other jonin and chunin had begun engaging the enemy ninja attacking them. Looking up at where the Hokage was supposed to be, Kakashi saw a barrier ninjutsu surrounding the area. Gai pointed out something and Kakashi realized what was inside the barrier…Orochimaru and the Hokage.

"Orochimaru?!" both Evergreen and Laxus said in unison. Both of them thought of Freed, who Orochimaru had attempted to get his hands on during the second round, only to be foiled by a certain 'demon brat'. Could this be another attempt for him to get his hands on Freed?

"Orochimaru? Isn't he one of the Sanin? The one who became a missing ninja?" asked Zabuza as both Kakashi and Gai nodded.

"I'm still not sure why he is here" said Kakashi, "but it's not good."

 **"Kit, behind you!"**

Laxus turned around to see two sound ninja darting towards him. He then felt a small amount of Kurama's chakra surge into him, giving him the necessary speed to dodge their attack and retaliate, sending them into the wall behind them.

 _'Thanks'_ said Laxus to the Fox.

Unfortunately for Evergreen, she didn't have the speed to evade or retaliate against her attackers. However, she did have Kakashi. Kakashi dug two kunai into the attacker's heads, killing them.

"Stay like that for a little while, Evergreen, I'll even the odds" said Kakashi, giving his student a smile.

"Hey Kakashi…it's been awhile since our last challenge, my eternal rival" said Gai. "What do you say?"

 _'…eternal rival?'_ Zabuza though, staring at Gai. He wasn't quite sure where this was going.

"Most kills wins?" Kakashi responded, giving a little smile. Gai nodded. Upon hearing this, now Zabuza wanted in.

"Now you are talking" Zabuza replied.

"Looks like he have a new rival…ehh Kakashi?" responded Gai. Zabuza's sweat dropped upon hearing that.

"Huh? You say something Gai?" replied Kakashi, enraging Gai with his coolness.

"So whoever kills the most Sound and Sand ninja wins, correct?" Zabuza asked, pulling out his sword.

"Yes, but our primary objective is to prevent casualties" Kakashi replied. "Although, I'm concerned about the Hokage."

"Let the ANBU handle it. Besides, that person is the Hokage, he's not to be taken lightly" replied Gai as Kakashi, Zabuza, and Gai began their 'contest'.

* * *

At the same time, Laxus was fending off a few of the Sound ninja that had decided to attack him. He was knocking them out with ease, thanks to the boosts in strength and speed given to him by the Fox. However, as the number of Sound increased, he found himself back to back with Lucy, who almost fainted realizing who she was so close to, but she knew that if she fainted now, she would either die, or lose all the respect that she had just gained over the past month. The Sound ninja charged at the two genin. "L-Laxus, get down" she said to him. Somehow, Laxus knew that was the right thing to do and he fell to the ground as Lucy began moving her arms.

"Protection of the Eight Trigrams!" she yelled out as the dome of cutting chakra formed around the two, severely injuring any of the Sound ninja that had tried to attack them.

 _'Wow! I knew that was an amazing technique from the battle, but I never knew it was this good'_ thought Laxus.

 **"Heh, that little vixen is certainly full of surprises"** Kurama responded.

When she stopped her attack, she was panting heavily, having not fully recovered her chakra from her fight with Shino. Suddenly, about a dozen more ninja appeared in front of each of them and another dozen behind them. Laxus pulled a single shuriken out and aimed it at the Sound ninja, causing them to laugh a little. They could easily handle one shuriken. Laxus threw the shuriken. "Shadow Shuriken Clone Jutsu!" he said, pumping a lot of chakra into the Jutsu. Suddenly, the single shuriken became 50 and took the Sound ninja by surprise. When all was said and done, two of the Sound lay dead and three more severely injured. Out of anger, the remaining Sound ninja charged at the two genin. Only to be stopped and killed by Zabuza. He had stepped in between them, and with a single swipe of his Executioner Blade, all 7 dropped to the ground, dead.

Laxus was still a little shaken by the fact that he had actually killed. Zabuza turned to him. "Were those your first kills, kid?" he asked as Laxus could only help but nod.

 **"Kit, get over it"** said Kurama, trying to snap him back. **"Right there, you had to kill them. If you didn't, they probably would have gotten to your little vixen and potentially killed her. Now, you wouldn't want that? Nor would you want anyone else in this village to die, right?"**

 _"N…no, I guess not"_ replied Laxus _. "And stop calling her my vixen!"_

 **"Then you have no choice but to kill those who are threatening those close to you"** said Kurama as Laxus began to snap to that realization. If he was to protect the Leaf, then he would have to kill the enemy ninja. Kurama let the vixen comment slide. He figured it was only a matter of time before he realized anyways.

"Just don't beat yourself up over having to kill someone. As a shinobi, you will have to kill. The sooner you realize that, the better. Trust me, you did the right thing. If you didn't kill, you and your friend could be in trouble" the former Demon in the Mist said, practically repeating what Kurama had said.

The 12 Sound ninja who were facing Lucy were ready to attack. They were a little cautious after seeing what she had done to their comrades, but attacked none the less. Unfortunately, with Laxus at her back, she didn't have much freedom to dodge. "Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams, One hundred and twenty-eight palms!" Hiashi called out, disabling all of the attackers who were attacking his daughter.

"Father!" Lucy called out as Hiashi ran to her.

"Lucy, now is not the time to try and prove something. As a Leaf ninja, your primary duty is to get those who cannot protect themselves to safety" explained Hiashi. "Go with Kurenai and help to evacuate the villagers. Also, go find your sister and get her to safety as well."

"Yes, father" replied Lucy. She turned to Kurenai and Laxus.

"I'll be fine, don't worry. I've got Kakashi-sensei and Zabuza" replied Laxus, giving her his usual grin. Lucy took off with her sensei.

 _'Lucy, please be safe. I can't be losing you now that you've finally awakened'_ thought Hiashi, turning his attention to the attacking sound ninja.

* * *

"12" Kakashi said, jabbing his Lightning blade through the chest of a ninja who saw the cowering Evergreen and tried to attack her.

"14, my eternal rival! The power of youth burns in me today!" exclaimed Gai, sending a Sound ninja through a stone column and down onto the arena floor below.

'…power of youth?' Zabuza thought. He still didn't get this spandex wearing jonin. "Is that all? I've already killed 21!"

"So it seems we might have a new eternal rival, eh Kakashi?" said Gai, slamming another Sound ninja into a third Sound ninja.

 _'…Why did I come here?'_ Zabuza thought, sweat dropping. He was contemplating using that sword on Gai as well.

Kakashi's attention then turned to Evergreen. Like he said, he had evened the odds and it was a little safer for her to come out of hiding. "Evergreen, it was worth teaching you genjutsu, as I thought, you have a talent for it" praised Kakashi. At that time, Freed joined them in the stands and Bickslow came shortly after. Kakashi then turned to Laxus, realizing that he was in fact awake, which was weird as he had no recollection of teaching Laxus how to dispel genjutsu. Team 7 then gathered around their sensei as the fighting began to die down in the area around the stands. "I have an A-rank mission for the four of you."

"A-rank?!" shouted a surprised and happy Laxus.

"Yes, what you said to me about Gajeel being a jinchuriki is not good. In fact, I have a bad feeling about it. Now, a jinchuriki is…" instructed Kakashi as he was cut off by Freed.

"We know" Freed said, pointing at Laxus who had a slight grin on his face as Kakashi's eyes widened.

"What? When?" asked Kakashi in surprise.

"The Forest of Death, when we encountered Orochimaru" explained Bickslow and Evergreen. This confirmed Kakashi's suspicions about his team and their knowledge of what was inside Laxus. He would have to have a long chat with them after this was all over.

"Anyways, the four of you are to track down Gajeel and stop him before anything bad happens" explained Kakashi. "I have a feeling Laxus knows the most about what's going on with Gajeel, so I…"

Laxus's eyes widened as he realized what Kakashi was hesitant to say. "I…I appoint Laxus the leader for this mission" said a reluctant Kakashi.

"Yeah! You can count on me sensei!" shouted Laxus. The three other members of Team 7 dropped their heads, now doubting Kakashi's judgment. However, one thing was true…when it came to demons and jinchuriki, Laxus was the best source of knowledge they had.

On their way out of the village, Team 7 noticed a few civilians cornered by about a dozen Sound ninja. They could see no one else around and Laxus remembered what Kurama said about protecting the people of this village. The four of them made a quick detour as three of the sound ninja charged at the unprotected civilians, intending to kill.

The woman closest to the Sound ninja feared this would be it for her, until the Sound ninja fell to her feet, dead. Looking up to see her savior, she didn't expect what she had seen. The one she had referred to as the 'Demon Brat' and hated as a result had been the one to come to her rescue. Team 7 had now engaged the rest of the sound ninja, who did not have time to react as Evergreen trapped them in a genjutsu long enough for Freed, Laxus, and Bickslow to ready for an attack to take them down. A few seconds later, and all twelve sound ninja laid dead.

"You…you're" the woman stuttered pointing at Laxus.

"Yeah, I know. I'm the 'Demon Brat'" said Laxus, finishing her sentence.

"No, you saved me" she exclaimed as the rest of Team 7 took off in the direction of Gajeel. Was he really that bad? All she could think about was whether or not he really was a demon child. Everyone else in the group of civilians were thinking the same thing. He had helped save them. A 'demon child' wouldn't do that, but he did.

Receiving information from Kurama about the One-tail, it became blatantly obvious that their intention was to unleash the Shukaku on The Leaf. The team quickly agreed that could not happen.

* * *

In another section of The Leaf, Lucy had found herself up against a squad of Sand ninja. She was separated from Kurenai when they spit to survey the area. Two of the Sand ninja attacked and Lucy was busy parrying or evading their attacks. However, she was too busy dealing with them, and was unable to deal with the barrage of kunai coming at her from the other two Sand ninja who had stayed back.

"Eight-trigrams : palm Rotation !" shouted Neji, blocking the incoming attack.

"Big Brother Neji!" said Lucy, surprised by her cousin's sudden appearance and him actually defending her.

"Lady Lucy" said Neji. This also surprised Lucy as there was no resentment in his use of an honorific associated with her name. "I have learned a few very important things in the past hour and I want to say that I am truly sorry for how I have treated you, but now is not the time for such apologies. We must show these traitors why the Hyuga is the strongest clan in the leaf."

Lucy was uplifted by Neji's sudden turning. The two took their stances as the four The Sand ninja surrounded them. "Lady Lucy, are you versed in the Eight Trigrams?" asked Neji.

"Yes, I can do the first thirty-two strikes, but I'm still not comfortable on the next thirty-two" explained Lucy.

"Well, then just try your best" he encouraged.

"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms!" the two of them declared in unison as they proceeded to attack their opponents. Seconds later, the Sand ninja crumpled to the ground as channeling chakra through their bodies was now almost impossible.

Neji noticed something about Lucy there. It wasn't so much during the first thirty-two strikes, although it was present, but during the last thirty-two strikes that he noticed something was…off. It was almost as if she was forcing it upon herself rather than letting the attack come naturally to her.

* * *

With the stadium secure, Kakashi remained behind to fend off any remaining enemies and to aid Genma with the coming battle between him, Baki, and the cloaked figure that had just arrived next to Baki. For Gai and Zabuza, they realized that their abilities were needed elsewhere as a few waves of Sound and Sand shinobi had begun to invade the village from the outside, increasing the number of enemies inside the village.

* * *

One of the most problematic opponents for the Leaf ninja was the giant snake making its way through the village.

"Ninja art: Watchtower Demolisher Jutsu!" A giant toad came crashing down on top of the snake, killing it. On top of the toad stood Jiraiya. "Long time no see, eh Ibiki?" he said.

"Lord Jiraiya!" called Ibiki. The other guards were both shocked and relieved that another of the Sanin had joined the battle, but on their side.

"Little chickadees!" Jiraiya began to chant. "Open them small eyes of yours, as wide as you can and take a really good look! Blessed be! It's the twilight zone flight of rampage, by Jiraiya, the great toad sage ninja!"

A few people's sweat dropped after Jiraiya's self-introduction. "Where's the Third Hokage?" he asked.

"On top of that building, with Orochimaru!" said Ibiki.

 _'Don't be dying on me now, old man'_ thought Jiraiya.

* * *

 **A/N:Sorry for the relatively short chapter. For the record the Thirds fight will be the same and I will be focusing on the battle between Laxus and Gajeel. Also the poll will be over Next Chapter so vote while you can.**

 **Comments and reviews are greatly appreciated.**


	23. Battle of Jinchuriki

**Disclaimer : I do not own Naruto or fairy tail and the first person to comment will be dedicated**

* * *

Team 7 had successfully left the village and was in pursuit of the three Sand ninja, who intended to unleash the Shukaku upon Konoha. As Gajeel was injured, the three of them were moving at a much slower pace than normal and it wasn't long until they sensed their pursuers. Knowing that they had to get Gajeel in position before the demon began to take over, Kankuro made the necessary sacrifice and fell behind to slow down the pursuing Leaf ninja.

As Team 7 was making their way through the forest outside the village, the found themselves under attack by a barrage of needles. Thanks to Bickslow's quick reactions, the needles instead impaled themselves into a lion made of ink, leaving the team unharmed. "Laxus, I can handle him. This will let the three of you continue on to Gajeel" suggested Bickslow, waiting for the leaders call.

"Fine. Just catch up with us later Bickslow" determined Laxus, as the rest of the team continued on. Kankuro tried to stop them, but another allowed Laxus, Freed, and Evergreen to get away. Laxus had explained to the team that is the One tail got free, then that thing would destroy most of Konoha itself before the Leaf could mount any sort of response. With the Leaf already under siege, repelling both Orochimaru's forces and a demon would be near impossible. Their only hope was to get to Gajeel before h fully unleashed the demon.

* * *

Bickslow was now facing Kankuro, doing what he felt he must in order for his friends to get through and stop Gajeel. Kankuro released the puppet from his back and sent it towards Bickslow with a poisoned blade at the ready. Bickslow easily blocked the assault, creating another ink tiger in front of him. Kankuro had his puppet move only for it to be attacked by two more ink tigers from each side. The puppet revelied to Hidden blades and cut the tiger and the attacked Bickslow after they were destroyed, Bickslow did not move and the puppet's blade impaled Bickslow, only for him to burst into a puddle of Ink. Bickslow made a quick hand seal and Three giantish Ink snakes were maee and constricted around the puppet and crushed it into pieces.

Kankuro swore under his breath as Bickslow had gotten past his puppet. However, Kankuro had a second puppet that Bickslow had forgotten about from the preliminary exams. Coming from behind an unsuspecting Bickslow, Kankuro's second puppet opened its chest cavity and grabbed Bickslow, trapping him inside. Normally, Kankuro would use his first puppet's blades to stab the inside of the puppet, but Bickslow had reduced that puppet to nothing but scrap. He then decided to use a poison gas ball that he had installed to poison Bickslow inside the cavity.

"Ninja art: Super Beast Scroll!" called out Bickslow as Ink Lions cam from outside of Kankuro's puppet and tore it to shreds showing the one cought was also an ink clone. Bickslow was panting as that last attack did require a large amount of chakra to use, but now Kankuro was puppetless. Bickslow unshethed his ninjaťo and held it to his troat. In a silent saying of give up now. Bickslow had pretty much bested him.

* * *

Temari and Gajeel were hurrying as best as they could to get into a position where they could unleash the Shukaku upon Konoha, but give their troops enough of a warning so that they wouldn't be killed as well. As such, they had planned to go around Konoha, to the top of the plateu that the Hokage monument was carved into and they would unleash the Shukaku there, effectively sandwiching Konoha's forces between the Sand/Sound forces and the Shukaku. However, because of the activity of the Leaf's patrols, scouting the area for any additional enemies that may approach the village, the two of them were forced to take a wide detour away from the village and around to the back. As a result, the team that had been sent to intercept them was rapidly approaching and Kankuro had failed to slow them down. What made it worse was that the demon inside Gajeel was beginning to force its way out.

Gajeel finally got to the point where he could no longer proceed as the mental anguish had become too much and he begged for Temari to get away before it was too late. It was at this time that Team 7 showed up. "We don't know what you're planning, but we know it's not good and that we have to stop you right here" declared Freed, jumping down to face Gajeel.

Gajeel bent over in pain as the demon began to emerge, partially transforming his arm and half of his head in the process. Inside Laxus, Kurama was warning him that Gajeel's transformation had already begun and that they needed to do something quick.

Temari had retreated to a tree about a hundred meters away from where Gajeel was. This wasn't necessarily a safe distance, but it gave her a nice view of the coming fight and would give her a slight head start should she need to escape.

"You…You're strong, you have companions, and you have ambition, like me" said Gajeel. "I'll kill you! Once I have done that, I will have ended that. Once I have done that, I will feel alive! Come let me feel it!"

Team 7 felt a wave of killing intent radiate from Gajeel that was more intense than what they felt from the forest of death. The three members of Team 7 looked on in horror at Gajeel's transformation. It was almost like what Laxus went through, but it seemed as if Gajeel wasn't in complete control.

"Are you afraid of me?" taunted Gajeel. "Afraid of my existence? Remember, you are now my prey!"

Taking advantage of their shocked expressions, Gajeel lashed out his sand arm at Team 7 as they just managed to evade. They spent the next few minutes trying to evade Gajeel's attacks and Gajeel's taunts continued. "What's the matter, are you afraid of me?!" called Gajeel. "Have your fears overtaken you? I thought this was going to be exciting…how do you intend to kill those you were meant to kill? Are your reasons for existence that puny? If you crave an answer…come and get me!"

 _'It was intentional…he left me alive for a reason'_ thought Freed _. 'He let me live so that he doesn't have to feel guilty about killing the entire clan.'_ "My brother Itachi chose me to be the avenger! My sole reason for existence is to hunt and destroy him!"

Taking Gajeel's taunts to heart, Freed activated his Chidori and charged at Gajeel. Laxus had warned him not to rush into this, heading the warnings coming from the Fox. When the attack landed, Freed's Chidori carved through Gajeel's arm like butter.

"Ahahahahaha!" laughed Gajeel. His wound wasn't bleeding, at least not blood. It was bleeding sand, which quickly closed the wound, healing his arm. "I see…so that's what it was. The reason why I'm so excited. I just got the answer…the pain! Defeating a man who's strong enough to hurt me and utterly destroying him! That's what gives me an even greater sense of existence!"

Gajeel begged for more and his transformation progressed further as a tail emerged, resembling his arm. Inside Laxus, Kurama was swearing at the events.

"Freed, Kurama told me that fire is the way to go against him" explained Laxus, taking the advice directly from the Kyuubi. Freed remembered the battle back in the stadium and understood what Laxus was referring to.

"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Breath!" shouted Freed as he gathered the chakra and expelled it as a flamethrower towards Gajeel. Gajeel blocked the fire with his tail, but he noticed that it slowly began turning into glass.

"You…" hissed Gajeel as he noticed that Laxus had jumped down to Freed's side. "You're the one I failed to kill the other day!" Gajeel's rage intensified as he lashed out with his hand towards Laxus. Laxus screamed for everyone to get away, but Evergreen wasn't quick enough. The sand hand struck her, pinning her against a tree and knocking her unconscious.

"EVERGREEN!" both Laxus and Freed screamed.

"What is she to you?" questioned Gajeel.

"She's my comrade ! Let her go or else I'm going to kick your ass!" declared Laxus. Gajeel's grip on Evergreen tightened as Freed was struggling to free her, but to no avail.

"Haha. The only way she'll be released is if you can beat me! Not only that, but the sand will get tighter as time passes, slowly crushing her" claimed Gajeel. He removed his arm from Evergreen, but still left some sand to pin her and slowly crush her. Evergreen let out a slight gasp as the sand tightened, most likely breaking a few of her ribs. Both Freed and Laxus now realized that their only hope to save her was to beat him.

Laxus looked at Gajeel, trying to figure out why exactly he was doing this. What he saw, was part of himself. _'What sad eyes…very lonely. Just like me, he's had to live with a monster in him' thought Laxus. 'I loathed everyone. I couldn't understand why they hated my very existence. When I learned the Kyuubi was inside me I felt terrible, it was so painful. But, then I met Iruka-sensei…Evergreen…Freed…Kakashi-sensei…Lucy…everyone…and…even you Kurama. Despite all the pain we've gone through from the villagers, you and I accepted each other and I consider you a friend. You could be just like the Shukaku, manipulating me and trying to escape and destroy everything, yet you decided to help me…'_

"What's the matter, afraid of me?" taunted Gajeel. "To fight for yourself or to fight for others…Just love yourself…Fight only for your sake. C'mon, Fight me! Show me your power!"

Laxus and Freed looked at each other. This fight was going to require all of their power. "Fine! If you want to see my power, here!" shouted Laxus. Freed knew what was coming as a demonic chakra began to wisp around Laxus, forming into a fox-like chakra cloak. "Let's go Kurama!" His cloak began to take on the one-tailed form as Kurama began to force even more chakra into the kid, slowly pushing another tail out of the chakra cloak.

"Freed, we need to hit this guy hard and fast" said Laxus, Freed agreeing.

"Haha! Sand Shuriken!" shouted Gajeel as he sent a wave of sand shuriken towards Laxus and Freed, sending them flying back. The two Leaf ninja rebounded as Gajeel laughed at them. They looked at each other and connected like they did when first fighting Zabuza in the Land of Waves.

"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu!" shouted Freed, unleashing his attack. Gajeel blocked with his tail, causing more of it to turn from sand to glass, but nowhere near enough to slow Gajeel down. Gajeel sent his arm out, trying to hit Freed, but Freed's Sharingan had caught this and he dodged before Gajeel's attack could make contact.

When Gajeel looked around, he saw that a particular jinchuriki with a fox-like cloak was missing. What happened next…Gajeel would be feeling for the next few months, regardless of his demon state.

"Straight from the teachings of Kakashi-sensei and refined from the teachings of Pervy Sage! Ultimate Secret Technique: An Eternity of Pain!" A Rasengan that Laxus had formed came slamming up into Gajeel, just underneath the tail. The blast of the attack sent Gajeel flying as it looked like half of him had been blasted away. Gajeel let out a sadistic scream of both pain and enjoyment. Temari looked on at the damage that Laxus had actually inflicted to Gajeel. (A/N: For those of you wondering, yes that technique is essentially a Rasengan to the ass. Yes while writing this part I laughed :)

"What was that?" asked Freed.

"My new technique" smiled a fox-cloaked Laxus.

"Haha! You are fun…Laxus Dreyar. But now it is time you die!" shouted Gajeel.

"No! It's finally here!" said a horror-struck Temari. Suddenly, a giant figure began to rise above the forest. The true form of the Shukaku had appeared.

 **"Damn…no matter how you look at it, this is bad!"** shouted Kurama.

'I know that! Any way you can channel more chakra to me?' replied Laxus.

"No, at least not without the risk of destroying yourself. This is the most I can give you right now. However, the transformation is not fully complete. We can still stop him, but we need that giant toad that I told you about" explained Kurama.

Sand began to rise up around Freed and Laxus as Gajeel prepared to make his final move.

 **"Kit, channel an entire tail worth of my chakra into this summoning jutsu and hope for the best"** advised Kurama.

"Boar,Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram" Laxus chanted, going through the hand seals.

"Now die! Desert Coffin!" Gajeel called out. 'To think I was forced to use this form.'

"No I will protect my friends!" shouted Laxus. "Summoning Jutsu!"

"Ehh? Who are you? Where's Jiraiya?" asked the giant toad.

 _'Hehe, it worked!'_ thought an exuberant Laxus. Freed just stared in awe as he also realized that they were atop a giant toad. The cloak surrounding Laxus had now been reduced to an aura of demonic chakra surrounding him.

"H-How?" said Freed at a loss of words.

"Jiraiya? You mean that pervert of a Sage?" asked Laxus to the giant toad.

"Yeah, him. I thought I told him not to summon me" complained the big toad.

"Well, umm you see, I kind of summoned you" replied Laxus.

The giant toad just laughed. "You expect me to think that a little brat like you summoned me? Gamabunta, the Toad Boss?" said Gamabunta.

"Yeah, well you see I heard about your powers from a friend of mine and I thought you could help me out with that?" said Laxus, pointing at the giant badger.

"Hmm, that's the Shukaku of the sands" grumbled Gamabunta.

'Laxus Dreyar, who the hell is he? He amuses me to no end' thought Gajeel.

"Laxus, how did you?" asked Freed.

"It's a summoning contract that Pervy Sage let me sign a month ago" replied Laxus.

 _'So this is the power of a summoning contract? I have to get one'_ thought Freed, his desire for power kicking in slightly.

 _'Hmm…'_ thought the Chief Toad, taking a smoke from his pipe. "I'll help you this once punk, but that's it. And tell that Jiraiya that we need to talk the next time you see him." He then drew his sword and faced the Shukaku Gajeel. "Hold on tight!" With that, Gamabunta leaped at Gajeel. With a strong swing of his sword, he cleaved the arm of the Shukaku, losing his sword in the process.

"Hey boss! Watch over there. Evergreen is over there" said Laxus, pointing to the area they once were. "We have to defeat him or we can't save Evergreen!"

"You're fun, Laxus Dreyar!" exclaimed Gajeel.

"Huh? What's that?" Laxus said, noticing something arise on the Shukaku's head.

"So that's the medium, eh?" said Gamabunta. The medium was Gajeel, emerging from the demon's head.

"Thank you for entertaining me. Now I'll show you the true power of the Demon of the Desert!" said the medium.

"That medium shows the signs of insomnia from being possessed by the Shukaku. Take a look at those bags under his eyes. I could give him competition" explained Gamabunta. "Those possessed by the Badger Demon become such that they can't even have a single night of decent sleep. It's because of the terror! If they sleep, their personality is eaten away by the Shukaku, until it completely disappears."

"Now you see why that damn raccoon drives everyone insane!" said Kurama, causing Laxus to let out a slight laugh.

"Because the medium suffers from a lack of sleep, their personality is unstable. However, while that medium is awake, the Shukaku's true powers are suppressed. But if that medium were to fall asleep…" Gamabunta explained.

"Ninja art: Playing possum Jutsu!" the medium called out, falling asleep.

"Hahaha, I'm finally out! And here's someone I wanna kill right now! Ooh and then there's a village over there just waiting for me! Shobi do ba" the Shukaku said.

* * *

"What the?" said Jiraiya as he looked over to see two rather large and distant figured engage one another. Taking out his spyglass, he saw that they were Gamabunta and the Shukaku. "That's the…but wait, did Laxus actually manage to summon Gamabunta?" Fearing for what was going down, Jiraiya made his way towards the battle of giants.

Around the village, the civilian population had finally been evacuated and the Leaf could now retaliate at full force. At the memorial stone, on the outskirts of the village, Yugao, an ANBU with long purple hair bowed before the stone as her squad departed to join the battle.

Inside the village, Hiashi had come into contact with over a dozen Sound shinobi who all darted towards him. He easily repelled them using a Rotation that was much stronger than Neji's. "Do not forget that the Hyuga is the strongest in the leaf!" he declared.

"Ninja art: Expansion Jutsu!" Chouza shouted as he expanded to roughly the size of the giant toad that Jiraiya had dropped on the snakes earlier. He began attacking enemies left and right and there was nothing they could do about the giant.

"My…body" a Sand shinobi called out, not being able to move. He had been caught by the shadow arts of Shikaku, Shikamaru's father. "Shadow Neck Bind Jutsu!" he called out as the shadow worked its way up the Sand shinobi's neck, strangling him to death.

"Mind-body Switch!" Inoichi, Mira's father, called out. He switched minds with one of the Sand shinobi and began using that ninja to attack the other enemies.

"Heh, just like old times" Inoichi said, joining Shikaku and Chouza.

"The good old days of the InoShikaCho formation!" exclaimed Shikaku. The Leaf's legendary InoShikaCho formation was back together.

As for Zabuza and Gai, they were now on the full offensive with the current count at 49 for Gai, 53 for Zabuza, and 42 for Kakashi, who was back at the stadium, now aiding Genma with his battle against Baki and the. Needless to say, Kakashi wasn't going to be getting many more kills in their competition.

"Wind Style: Wind Bomb!" called the Shukaku, slamming its hand into its stomach and unleashing a few massive bullets of wind.

"We're gonna jump!" warned Gamabunta as he dodged the attack. "Water style: Water Cannonball!" Gamabunta launched his water bullets to counter the remaining air bullets of the Shukaku. The two attacks collided in midair. However, one of the Shukaku's bullets remained unblocked and clocked Gamabunta square in the chin.

"Haha…I killed it! I killed it!" screamed the Shukaku. However, Gamabunta was not dead as he got back up to his feet.

"That hurt, you overgrown badger!" shouted Gamabunta. "Kid, even I can't take too many hits from that. We've gotta wake up that medium."

"How?!" asked Laxus.

"I don't know. We've got to get close enough to it or slow it down somehow" said Gamabunta.

"If I could just increase the power of my fire, that might work" said Freed.

"Hey green haired punk, that's not a bad idea, I've got oil that can help if you have fire" said Gamabunta, realizing what Freed was planning.

"Green-haired punk?" said an obviously irritated Freed. Kurama and Laxus failed in doing everything they could to keep themselves from laughing. Freed shrugged it off; knowing that arguing with a giant toad was not at the top of his list of priorities.

"Now for you, Orange punk. When the Shukakau cools, you need to get in there and wake that medium" explained Gamabunta as Freed prepared for his fire attack. "Just let me know when, Green head."

Freed gave a little signal and Gamabunta unleashed his oil. "Fire Style: Dragon Fire Breath!" shouted Freed as he ignited the oil, which sailed towards the Shukaku. The demon badger was engulfed in a massive inferno. By the time the smoke cleared, the Shukaku was almost completely encased in a glass shell.

 **"Haha, take that you dumb badger!"** Kurama couldn't help but laugh at the One tail. Gamabunta charged forward for Laxus to go and attack the medium directly. Freed was having trouble barely hanging on as he had used up almost all of his chakra with that last fire jutsu, trying to make it as powerful as he could.

When Gamabunta met the Shukaku, some of the glass chipped away, but Laxus was able to get off to deliver those blows. Unfortunately, some of the sand surrounding Gajeel had peeled away and some sand was able to wrap up Laxus. Kurama gave the boy one last burst of his chakra and lunged his head forward towards the medium. "Wake Up!" Laxus shouted as he head-butted the medium, forcing it to wake. As he did, the Shukaku crumbled. Laxus and Gajeel were falling, only for the Chief Toad to catch them before returning home with his son.

"After all this…I feel tired and empty" said Laxus. The two were facing each atop opposing trees. "We are the same, you and I. Let's make the end of it!"

Laxus and Gajeel made one last bout at each other, falling to the ground as they clashed. Both of them laid only feet apart, neither able to move because of the drain that was now being felt through their entire bodies.

* * *

Upon feeling the massive burst of Chakra, Bickslow had left the Kankuro to check out the situation with the rest of his team. When he got there, he saw Evergreen pinned against a tree, but the sand encasing her was slowly crumbling away. He caught Evergreen after the rest of the sand fell apart and she was finally free of her prison.

* * *

Throughout the village, a cursed scream could be heard coming from inside the purple barrier that contained the battling Hokage and his former student. As the barrier finally collapsed, the four Sound ninja grabbed their master and retreated. The Hokage lay on the top of the roof, dead. However, he had managed to seal part of Orochimaru's soul with him before departed for the next world. While he may have been defeated, the Hokage had made sure that Orochimaru wouldn't be threatening the village any time soon.

Around the village, the tides had quickly turned as the shinobi of the Leaf were quickly repelling or killing the foreign invaders. As Orochimaru retreated, so did the remaining forces inside Konoha. The battle for Konoha had been won.

Kakashi saw the whole ordeal end and faced Baki and the 'ANBU'. "Kabuto, you are right before us completely exposed." Kakashi said as Kabuto removed the mask.

"Hey, what do we do?" asked Baki.

"Slowly retreat" replied Kabuto. With that, Kabuto and Baki disappeared in a puff of smoke.

* * *

 _'What is that guy dragging himself over here for?'_ thought Gajeel, unable to move. Laxus was slowly inching his way closer and closer. "My existence won't be put out! It won't be put out! Will I be saved?!" called out Gajeel.

'This guy…he wants to destroy because of what happened in the past. So for what reason do I exist? I thought I was like him…No…Not quite like him…And that this is the worst pain I know' thought Laxus as he inched closer. 'A world where one's existence is unnecessary.'

"No! Don't come any closer!" screamed Gajeel.

"Being alone…being incomplete…what you must feel…what your pain must be, I understand that" said a crying Laxus. Gajeel looked on in disbelief. "But, for all the people who are precious to me…If you hurt them and try to kill them, I will stop you!"

"What the?...Until now, for the sake of other people, you've…" Gajeel said.

"Because they rescued me from the hell of being alone. They acknowledged my existence…that's why they are important to me" explained Laxus.

Thoughts of his past, the one person Gajeel used to see as precious, circulated throughout Gajeel's mind. And a strange vision a fragment of being happy and a giant creature. What made this kid so strong?...Love.

Freed jumped down to Laxus's side just as Temari and Kankuro did the same. "That's enough. Evergreen's been saved" explained Freed, having made his way to the ground.

"Is that so?" Laxus smiled. Temari and Kankuro prepared for a battle, but were stopped by Gajeel. They were shocked, seeing Gajeel in this state, completely exhausted. Freed picked up his teammate and Temari and Kankuro did the same with their brother, heading off back to their respective villages.

* * *

Bickslow came up to them, carrying an unconscious Evergreen on his back. Shortly after, Jiraiya showed up on the sight to see Team 7 recovering from their victory. Freed recalled the battle and Laxus added that Gamabunta wanted to talk to Jiraiya. This was almost as bad as the death of his teacher.

* * *

While jumping back Gajeel knew he needed to say something to his sibling." Thank you... and I'm sorry Kankuro, Temari.

Suprised by what Gajeel said" All Kankuro could say was " It's okay Gajeel."

* * *

A few days later, a funeral was held for those who had fallen in the line of duty to defend the village. Amongst the most honored individuals was Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, who fell to Orochimaru, but not before sealing his arms away and rendering Orochimaru's jutsus useless. It was a sad day, as the sky was grey and the heavens cried for the dead. The one who was probably taking it the hardest was Konohamaru, the Third's grandson. The funeral was hard for both Iruka and Laxus as well, with the Hokage being almost like a grandfather to them as well.

At the Hero's stone was Kakashi. The same place where he normally was when he needed to think.

"The ceremony for the Third is about to begin" said Yugao, carrying a bouquet and walking up next to Kakashi. She placed the bouquet at the base of the stone to honor the fallenvwith her comrade and boyfriend comrade, Hayate, who was who was sick with a nasty virus during the attack. "Kakashi-sempai, are you here for Obito? You're always late for examinations, is it for some reason?"

"Actually, I was here rather early" said a down Kakashi. "But I didn't know what to say when I got there…I used to be foolish and did meaningless things all the time…"

* * *

Not far from where Kakashi and Yugao were, Jiraiya was sitting against a training post, reminiscing on the old man. This is the same place where he took the Third's bell test to become a genin, the same test that he gave to his students, one of which gave it to Kakashi, and Kakashi gave the test to Laxus.

* * *

On the outskirts of the wall, two cloaked figured stood over, observing the damage that had been done.

"We don't need to destroy what's already suffered a lot of damage…what do you think?" one of the figures said.

"The village is at the end of its prosperity…we shouldn't feel sorry for it" said the other figure.

"Gajeel's no longer here. Actually, do you still miss your old village? Itachi?" said the first figure.

"No…not at all" stated Itachi, the second figure.

* * *

"That asshole Sarutobi" cried Orochimaru from his secret base. Kabuto tended to his master's wounds, although there was nothing he could go about the arms.

"Well it wasn't going to be that simple" stated Kabuto. "Out of all the 5 kages, they say the Hokage is the strongest, however, two out of five isn't bad."

Orochimaru sent some killing intent towards Kabuto. "Stop saying comforting words…or I'll kill you!" hissed Orochimaru.

"We didn't even manage to get Freed" said Kabuto.

"That is no concern" said Orochimaru ominously. "He will come to me. We just need to give him a different kind of push…"

Orochimaru looked over at a crippled hand sitting on his desk. "If only we had gotten Itachi Uchiha to join us, then we wouldn't have this sort of problem. Because he's even stronger than me, that's why I left that organization…"

* * *

A whistle was heard by a team of scouting Sand ninja. The squad joined up, wondering what it was the whistleblower had found. "It's over here" he said.

"This…this is…" they all said in horror.

"They've been dead for a while…before the chunin exams" said the whistleblower.

"I see, so that's what happened" growled Baki. "That bastard!...Orochimaru!"

At the bottom of the ravine they were looking into, there lay the Kazekage…dead.

A complete surrender by the Sand to the Leaf was issued and Konoha accepted. Orochimaru was placed as the mastermind to the entire attack. Thanks to him, both villages were without a Kage.

* * *

 **That's it for the invasion. Comments and reviews are greatly appreciated. The poll is over and Laxus will be getting the storm kekie genkai**.


	24. Aftermath

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or fairy tail and the first person to comment will be dedicated. This is dedicated to Guest. Also an apology to quest. This is suppost to be Laxus acting like naruto along with a little of his yonger more innocent self. So its basically a oc Laxus and other member of Fairy tail, Wendy, and Gajeel fanfiction**.

* * *

It was the day after the funeral and although things were hard in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, everyone was starting to settle down and get back to work repairing what was destroyed in the attack. By this time, word had gotten around about the battle between Team 7 and the One tail of the Sand. Most of the villagers acknowledged Freed as the sole reason for the defeat, however even he knew that if it hadn't been for Laxus, the demon would have won. There were a handful of villagers that acknowledged that the reports were accurate and that Laxus had played a vital role in the defeat of the One tails, particularly the group of villagers that he had saved during the invasion and the same ones who were starting to have a change of heart about The Leaf's Demon Brat'.

The battle was still echoing in Freed's head. Laxus had managed to show off some amazing abilities there, including the summoning Jutsu and that blue sphere that Laxus had shoved up Gajeel's ass. Freed knew Laxus had access to the Nine-tails power but the power Laxus demonstrated wasn't all Nine-tails. Making himself a jinchuriki was completely out of the question, after seeing what Gajeel had become, but he had to find some way to increase his own power if he ever hoped to avenge his clan and kill his brother. A summoning contract was on his list of things-to-get and he already had an idea on how to get his hands on one, and that one Jutsu of Laxus's had to be at least on par with his own Chidori. Laxus had found a Jutsu that had surpassed him and now it was Freed's turn to come up with something to surpass Laxus. Of course Freed knew Laxus, being on his team and after all the small competitions they normally had when it came to training. When he surpassed Laxus, Laxus would find a way to surpass him and the cycle would just keep repeating, neither one of them willing to let the other one get ahead of the other. He realized that this was where he would get his strength from, the rivalry between the two of them.

* * *

It was getting late in the afternoon and Kakashi had called a team meeting, not at the usual training ground, but in a private meeting hall in the Hokage's tower. There was something that needed to be discussed and it needed to be discussed now. Team 7 arrived at the meeting with Kakashi already present. The fact that he was even early for this meant that this talk was going to be important and the team already had the idea that it revolved around a certain blonde-haired teammate of theirs.

"Kakashi, you're…early?" asked Evergreen, coming into the room. Evergreen had just been released from the hospital after they reset the broken ribs she had from Gajeel's sand. Thankfully, those were the worst of her injuries and she was just bandaged and told to rest for a week to recover.

"Yes, well I've been meaning to talk to you about the events in this past exam" said Kakashi. "First, I must say that I am actually impressed by your performance in the exams. To be honest, I didn't fully expect the four of you to grow so much."

"Wait? Does that mean you didn't expect us to pass?" asked Evergreen. This realization pissed off the other three members.

"To be honest, I nominated the four of you to give you the experience of these exams. It is rare that someone passes on their first time around. However, I knew you were ready, which is why I nominated you" explained Kakashi. "However, there was one person out of you that particularly caught my attention…Laxus."

 **"I'm going to leave the five of you alone. Have fun Kit"** laughed Kurama as he retreated back into the darkness of his cage.

 _"Hey! Get back here! You're as much a part of this as I am!"_ shouted Laxus, but he got no response.

While that was happening Bickslow mumbled " tisk now you pay attention to him even though you….." Freed was only able to catch the first bit and was confused by Bickslow's reaction.

Laxus smiled and put his hand behind his head as the group's attention turned towards him. They knew this talk was comming. "When did you figure out?" asked Kakashi, referring to the Nine-tails.

"Well, you see…it happened back in the Land of Waves" said Laxus, explaining the story of how he and the Nine-tails met. "Wait, does that mean you know as well?"

"Well, I am your mentor, plus I've known longer than you have" replied Kakashi. "I suspected you realized it back in the Land of Waves when I felt that sudden burst of Chakra." If it wasn't for the fact that everyone on Team 7 knew exactly what they were talking about, this would have quickly become a rather awkward conversation. Kakashi turned to the rest of the team. "Based on your reactions, I suspect the three of you know as well, when did you find out?"

"Back in the Forest of Death, after Laxus tapped into the Nine-tail's power against that Orochimaru guy" replied Evergreen. "After we were able to escape from Orochimaru and Gajeel, we had already seen the chakra cloak that Laxus got and he decided to tell us."

"Chakra cloak? Laxus, how much power has the Nine-tails been giving you?" asked Kakashi. Even he knew that with jinchuriki, a chakra cloak required a rather large amount of power.

"Well, he's been giving me as much as he can without damaging the seal" replied Laxus. "He helped me out against Gajeel and I was able to get the cloak to two-tails."

Kakashi looked at Laxus worried for the boy. "Laxus, two tails is a rather large amount of power to use without having the Nine-tails influence you. If you continue giving into him, he could break free and destroy The Leaf, again."

"You see, the funny thing is that it's all a big misunderstanding!" argued Laxus. Now Kakashi was becoming increasingly worried, but also a little curious.

"What are you talking about?" questioned Kakashi.

"Well, you see there was this guy that manipulated him into attacking the village. He honestly wanted nothing to do but mind his own business, but that guy came after him and forced him to attack the village almost 100 years ago. It was the same thing 12 years ago when he was forced to attack the village again. Because of that, he was sealed inside of me. He just wants to get free and mind his own business…" Kakashi cut Laxus short.

"Laxus that is most likely a ploy the Nine-tails came up with to trick you. You can't listen to him he wants nothing more than to manipulate you" said Kakashi. Not noticing the others anger starting to rise.

"He's not manipulating me. We came to an agreement and the two of us are working together, well at least the best we can with the seal as tight as it is" replied Laxus.

"And the seal is like that for a reason…" Kakashi was cut off by Freed.

"Kakashi, I even think what Laxus was saying is true. Against Gajeel, Laxus was in complete control, unlike Gajeel, even when he wasn't fully transformed" explained Freed. "Plus the Nine tails apparently gave Laxus the power willingly to stop Orochimaru. Apparently he was trying to give me some sort of curse mark or something?"

"We'll talk about that another day Freed. Now Laxus, the Nine tails is an evil demon and he's manipulating you to use more and more of his power so he can influence your actions more. I would like to believe that the Nine tails is on our side, but you have no proof that it is. As such, I'm going to have to place a second seal on you to reinforce yours and block the Nine tails from communicating with you" explained Kakashi, preparing the seals. At least he knew what had stopped Orochimaru from giving Freed the curse mark. This however had pissed the rest of the team especially Evergreen and Bickslow since Freed didn't know about the fact that Kakashi was playing favorites.

 _"He doesn't believe me, what do I do?"_ asked Laxus.

 **"Hmm, Kit make the hand seals dog, Tiger, Snake, Monkey. Then put some chakra, about as much as you put into a normal summo** ning Jutsu and say 'Contract Summoning Jutsu' that will summon the contract you and I agreed on" explained Kurama.

Laxus did as he was instructed with Kakashi wondering what the boy was doing and on guard in case the Fox had anything to do with this. "Contract Summoning Jutsu!" he shouted as a rather large scroll, about the size of the toad summoning scroll, appeared before them.

"Laxus, what's the meaning of this?" asked Kakashi.

"It's the contract that Kurama and I came up with" said Laxus.

"Kurama?" questioned Kakashi.

"The Fox, his name is Kurama" said Laxus.

Kakashi was now a little more confused, but proceeded to open the contract. He was surprised at the contents of the contract. Basically, it clearly stated what happened to the Fox when he attacked the village and why he was sealed within Laxus and the former Jinchuriki. It also displayed the agreement between the two that Kurama would aid Laxus in exchange for his freedom when Laxus died. Furthermore, the Fox would not have a hand in Laxus's death and would furthermore do his best to ensure that Laxus would die of old age. The contract was signed in blood by both Laxus and Kurama. However, the one thing that caught Kakashi's attention was the name of the one responsible for the attacks on the village…Madara Uchiha.

"Laxus, how is Madara Uchiha connected to all of this, particularly the Nine tails attacks 12 years ago? He should have died over fifty years ago" asked Kakashi.

"Wait?! Madara…Uchiha?" asked Freed, stunned upon hearing the name.

Kakashi briefly explained to Freed about Madara Uchiha, including his defection from the village after the Uchiha clan allied with the Senju clan to form The Leaf. He then explained the fight between Madara and Harshirama Senju where Madara used the Nine tails in that fight.

"I don't really know, but Kurama said that he was being controlled by a Sharingan wielder and that the power of that person was the same as the man who fought with the First Hokage" explained Laxus. "Neither of us know how to explain it, I mean someone over 100 years old should be dead, but Kurama thinks that this man is alive.

"Alright" said Kakashi. "I'll have to look into that matter. Perhaps Master Jiraiya knows more about it." "But that still leaves your little…agreement. Who is to say that the Fox won't keep his end of the bargain?"

"Even amongst demons, blood contracts are binding" said Jiraiya, appearing out of the corner.

"Master Jiraiya, how did you get in here?" Kakashi questioned.

"I know how to get around a few privacy seals" explained Jiraiya.

"Pervy Sage!" shouted Laxus as Kakashi's sweat dropped.

 _'Pervy Sage? So this is the person that trained Laxus? This is Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sanin?'_ thought Freed. Evergreen also realized who had walked in and had punched Laxus over the head for referring to one of the greatest ninja in the Leaf, as a pervert. Little did she know, that Jiraiya was in fact a super pervert. Bickslow well, he was laughing madly at the name.

"Stop calling me that kid!" shouted Jiraiya. Inside the Fox was also couldn't stop laughing. "Anyways, I supervised Laxus before the exams. I checked and the seal is fully intact. He also seems to have rather good control over the Nine tails's chakra when needed."

"Okay, but what is it about a blood contract with demons that is making you so sure?" questioned Kakashi.

"I'm no expert with demons, but I do know a lot about the seals used here. One thing is for certain though, if the Nine tails doesn't keep his promise to Laxus and harms the village or anyone Laxus doesn't want hurt by him, the Fox will die. It's one of the few ways a demon can truly die."

Kakashi got it now. "So is there anything to worry about?"

"Regarding the Fox? No. I think it is safe to say that Laxus will have controlled access to the Fox's chakra. However, this does present other issues" explained Jiraiya.

"You mean…?" replied Kakashi.

"Yes" said Jiraiya.

"Huh? What are you two talking about?" said a confused Laxus.

"Laxus, there are people in this village who will try to take advantage of you if they knew you could use the power of the Nine tails. That's why I told you to be careful" explained Jiraiya. "They have their own selfish agenda and will manipulate you to their will."

"Laxus, does anyone else know you can access the Nine tails's chakra?" asked Kakashi.

"Besides Bickslow, Evergreen, and the Bastard over there, no" said Laxus.

"Idiot" replied Freed to Laxus's insult.

"Although, I suppose Gajeel might know, seeing as he is a jinchuriki as well" said Laxus. Kakashi and Jiraiya both understood that.

"Okay Laxus, just remember what we said about using the Nine tails' chakra. Keep it to the absolute minimum as it will cause problems if certain people in the village know" said Kakashi.

"Alright, I guess that means I just need to learn some more cool Jutsu like the Rasengan" said Laxus. Kakashi nearly face planted upon hearing the word Rasengan come out of Laxus's mouth. Kakashi asked Laxus where he leaned that from and Laxus pointed to Jiraiya. He then asked Laxus for a demonstration and Laxus did so, surprising Jiraiya that he had actually managed the Jutsu in the three-four weeks time. "Ooh…speaking of which, Kakashi can you teach me that Chidori?"

Now it was Freed's turn as the eyes nearly burst out of his head. "Sorry Laxus, but I don't think you are the type of person to learn Chidori" said Kakashi, receiving a few complaints from Laxus. Jiraiya promised to explain later and Freed was relieved that Chidori was one technique Laxus would not be getting.

Jiraiya informed Kakashi that the village council had been called and that they had to leave to meet up. Kakashi knew what was going on, although he didn't think they would convene this early. As such, Team 7 had the rest of the day off to do whatever they wanted. This meant training.

* * *

Kakashi and Jiraiya entered the council chamber. The entire council was there: Koharu and Homaru, the Hokage's advisors; Hiashi Hyuga, Chouza Akamichi, Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka, Shibi Aburame, Tsume Inuzuka, Asuma Sarutobi, and Murakumo Kurama, the clan heads; a few members of the civilian council; the feudal lord of the Land of Fire; and some old veteran called Danzo. They knew why they were there. The village needed the next Hokage and the council had been assembled to select the next Hokage.

Danzo spoke first, pretty much restating what most people though, that the Fifth Hokage was needed at this time. While Danzo secretly wanted to nominate himself as the candidate for Hokage, he knew that he had little support. It wasn't long before Jiraiya's name came up as a possible candidate and most of the council, especially the Feudal Lord, agreed with this decision.

"I'm sorry, but I must decline. I'm simply not that type" said Jiraiya, shocking most of the people sitting in the room. A few members questioned his decision.

"But Jiraiya, you are one of the Legendary Sanin" stated Koharu. "With the trouble of Orochimaru, we need a strong leader…we need you. If you are not the correct person for the job, then who is?"

"There is another person among the three Sanin" said Jiraiya. "That is Tsunade." This sent stirs around the council chambers. While she was qualified for the position, no one knew where she was or if she would come back to the village. Jiraiya even volunteered to go and look for her, stating that he would bring her back.

"Jiraiya, if you are leaving to find her, then you will need to bring several ANBU with you on your search party" said Koharu.

Jiraiya took this a different way than Koharu intended. "Don't worry, I'm not going to run away. That's a little excessive to have someone watch over me" said Jiraiya. "However, there is one person I would like to take along. I found an interesting new egg."

For now, the council agreed with this. If Jiraiya was able to bring Tsunade back, then they accept her as the Hokage, if not then they would have to come up with someone else.

* * *

Jiraiya went searching for his 'interesting egg', Laxus and it wasn't long until he found the blonde exiting Ichiraku ramen; however, Jiraiya noticed that he had a little stalker. A few meters behind Laxus, Lucy was ducking in and out into alleys and behind boxes, trash cans, and various objects as she followed her crush around, unbeknown to him. It was becoming obvious to Jiraiya that Laxus was completely oblivious to this girl. A closer inspection of her revealed her to be a Hyuga and the lack of a seal on her forehead indicated that she was from the main branch. This would make for an easier conversation as the one he now had to talk to was one of his former students.

Jiraiya jumped down to meet with Laxus. "Gah! Pervy Sage!" shouted Laxus.

"Don't call me that, you little brat!" shouted Jiraiya, ringing the boy by his neck. "Anyways, I was wondering if you were up for a little trip."

"Wait, trip?" said Laxus. "Why would I go? I need to convince Kakashi-sensei to teach me Chidori!"

"Well, we need to find this woman. Think of it as a mission. It's a 'special' trip and we'll even stop by the red-light district in Hima. Not to mention, I'll teach you more than Kakashi could ever teach you" explained Jiraiya, getting that perverted look on his face.

 _"Woman? Red light district? He just wants to do that 'research' thing, doesn't he?"_ said Laxus to the Fox.

 **"…Humans…"** responded the Fox, trying to go back to sleep.

"And also, this woman is hot, she wants to meet you" said Jiraiya, patting Laxus on the back.

"You're trying to fool me Pervy Sage! Whatever you say, I don't want to!" shouted Laxus.

"Hah. She knows a technique that is much better than Chidori" scuffed Jiraiya. "But you're not coming. I guess I could ask Freed…"

"All right! Let's go!" shouted Laxus, getting that excited look on his face. "I'm going to my house to pack up my things, don't leave without me!" Laxus took off quickly, leaving both Jiraiya and Lucy, who had hid in an ally and overheard the whole thing, in the dust.

 _"Laxus is leaving on a trip?"_ thought a depressed Lucy. _"I wish I could go."_ Lucy began fantasizing herself on a trip, just her and Laxus for a few weeks. This caused her to turn red and nearly faint. Jiraiya caught the young Hyuga peeking out from the ally and just gave a slight smile. This was going to be an interesting trip.

* * *

Outside the Hokage Tower, Kakashi was leaving from the council meeting. Suddenly he heard a familiar voice. "Kakashi, my eternal rival!" said Gai, putting his arm around Kakashi and radiating his usual…Gai-ness. Zabuza had come at a bad time to find Kakashi. "We never tallied the count from our little contest. I had 52, what about you!"

"Oh, well looks like you win this one Gai" Kakashi admitted. "I only had 47." He remembered that he had to take some time off to assign the mission to Laxus, Evergreen, and Shikamaru.

"Hah, Leaf ninja, you're so soft" laughed Zabuza. "52 is all you had? I had 68!"

Kakashi was indifferent, but Gai got that spark in his eye that usually means people should start running. "Yes! A second eternal rival has shown himself to join me along the road of youthfulness!" shouted Gai.

Kakashi then went to Zabuza's side and spoke quietly. "If you want to leave the village, I won't stop you" he said. Zabuza was wondering what Kakashi was referring to. In his first couple months in the village, he already had the pleasure of being assigned to multiple assassination missions and even got a bloodbath killing Sound ninja. He hated to admit it, but The Leaf was pretty good for him. However, when Gai began shouting again, he quickly realized what Kakashi had said.

"The next time we meet Zabuza, I will show you the full power of my youth! Now, I will go do 5000 pushups for losing to you!"

"…" was all Zabuza could say. What the hell had he just gotten himself into? Kakashi just smiled and walked away.

* * *

Kakashi found himself at the local tea house in the village. Inside, the two figures from earlier were also sitting at the table. "Oh, hey you two guys look good together" Kakashi said, seeing Kurenai and Asuma walking towards him.

"Idoit! Anko asked me to pick her up some sweets" responded Kurenai. "Are you guys on a date?"

"What about you? Did Anko ask you to pick up some sweets as well?" asked Asuma.

"No, sometimes I stop by to pick up stuff, but I'm just meeting up with someone" said Kakashi. "I'm waiting for Freed." This caught the attention of the two cloaked figures in the shop.

"Huh? Kakashi, it's rare for you to be here first, not to mention twice in one day" said Freed walking up to him. He caught a glance from one of the cloaked figures in the shop. Something about this person did not seem right. However, before Freed could get a second look, they were gone. Kurenai and Asuma also noticed this and disappeared as well.

* * *

The two figures found themselves walking along a river in the village. "It's been awhile, Asuma-san, Kurenai-san" said one of the figured removing his hat. He was facing the two jonin who didn't look happy that he was here.

"You're originally from this village, why did you come back?" asked Asuman. "Itachi Uchiha."

"Hmm, so you are already acquainted with Itachi? Then I should introduce myself" said the other cloaked figure. "Kisame Hoshigake. Now then, we have all been acquainted."

Asuma grinned. "I guess we were meant to meet. Now I have the task of taking you on!"

"Itachi, your home village doesn't seem to like me very much" said Kisame.

"I've heard of him…Kisame Hoshigake. Originally of the Hidden Mist" explained Kurenai. "A Daymio killer accused of starting destructive actions against other clans. The Mist has been searching other clans to find this slippery shinobi."

"You people are S-rank criminals ranked in the bingo book" said Asuma. "You are pretty brave to come back to this village after THAT incident, Itachi."

"Asuma, Kurenai, please do not interfere with my affairs, you will only get killed" said Itachi.

"So how do you plan to back up those words? Either something is wrong with the way you think or you are just too full of yourself" said Asuma, pulling out his knives. At the same time, Kisame reached for his sword. "What is your purpose for being here?" Kisame slammed his sword into the ground in front of Asuma. Much to his surprise, they didn't flinch.

"Kisame, just do what I say and don't let them get back to the village" said Itachi. "But don't do too much, your work can be quite…excessive."

Kisame charged at Kurenai, chopping down with his swords. However, Asuma stepped in front, blocking the blow with his knives. Kurenai flipped through a few signs and began to disappear in a vapor. At that time, the bandages on Kisame's sword began to unfurl, revealing a scaly looking sword. Kisame pulled back and the scales dug into Asuma's shoulder, leaving him with a minor wound.

"My sword, Samehade, is now off to slice you into bits" Kisame said as he made another slash at Asuma, further increasing the wound on his shoulder.

Itachi and Kisame were wrapped up as Kurenai's genjutsu finally came into effect. They were pinned against a tree as Kurenai drove a dagger towards Itachi. She quickly found out that she was the one bound to the tree. Itachi had reversed the genjutsu on her. _"This is the genjutsu counter?!"_ She thought.

"Genjutsu of this level has no effect on me" said Itachi as he drove a knife into her, dispelling the genjutsu. She wasn't physically wounded because Itachi attacked her in a genjutsu, but she was stunned long enough for Itachi to kick her into the river, distracting Asuma. "As expected Kurenai, this is it for you."

Kisame and Asuma clashed. Kisame thought that he was just out of the reach of Asuma's knives, but he soon found out that he had been cut on the face. Looking at Asuma, he could see the knives glowing with a chakra blade coming out of them.

"Water style: Water Shark Jutsu!" called out Kisame as he launched a large jet of water at Asuma, shaped like a shark. It collided with a jutsu that was the same as he had cast. "The jutsu is the same as mine!"

"Oh, it's just you" Asuma said as Kakashi stepped between him and Kisame. At the same time, a shadow clone stopped Itachi from harming Kurenai. "You just got here, huh?"

"No, I got here just a little bit ago" said Kakashi. Kisame sent another blast of water toward Kakashi and Asuma, only for his jutsu to be countered with the same jutsu.

"Kakashi Hatake" said Itachi, turning to the real Kakashi. Kakashi looked at Itachi. He was facing someone with the true Sharingan. This was going to be a difficult fight.

"Now it's time to dance" said Kisame. "I have a reason to show off my jutsu. With the exception of Itachi, this one has the Sharingan as well. He is well known as Copy Ninja Kakashi."

"The two people in the shop back there, I didn't think it would be Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigake" said Kakashi.

"Well, well you know my name" said Kisame. "I'm honored. However, you are asking for death. Anything to say before we fight?"

"Move Kisame" Itachi called out. He was a little shocked at first, but Kisame jumped to Itachi's side. Just as Kakashi's clone was about to take out Itachi, Itachi turned into a flock of crows, revealing himself to be a clone as well. Kakashi's clone was quickly dispatched by Kisame when he landed.

"Remember why we are here" said Itachi, appearing at his partner's side.

"Well, why don't you mind telling us why you are here?" asked Kakashi.

"We've come looking for something" said Itachi. Itachi threw a few shuriken at Kakashi. If it hadn't been for Kakashi's Sharingan, the subtle movements of Itachi's attack would have gone unnoticed and Kakashi would have most likely died.

"Water style: water barrier!" Kakashi shouted blocking Itachi's shuriken. At the same time, water drills rose up out of the water and clashed with the barrier. Thankfully, Kakashi was alright, until Itachi stabbed him in the back with a kunai.

Kakashi turned into water, revealing himself to be a water clone. _'Nice one, Kakashi'_ thought Kurenai. "Huh? This Itachi is just a copy!"

"Kurenai, get down!" shouted Kakashi, leaping out of the water in front of her and tackling her as Itachi's clone exploded. Kakashi and Kurenai were uninjured, but Kakashi was breathing heavy as water rained down on them. Asuma quickly ran to their side. "Keep your guard up. This man became leader of the ANBU at age 13" warned Kakashi.

"Is that all he has?" asked Asuma.

"No, that is not his full power yet" replied Kakashi.

"You are not related to the Uchiha Clan. We are true masters of the Sharringan" claimed Itachi. "Still, your body is suitable for that eye, but it does not contain any of our blood." Itachi had his eyes closed. He slowly began to open them. "I will show you the true power of the Sharingan Masters!"

"It couldn't be!" shouted Kakashi. "Both of you, close your eyes now!" Kurenai and Asuma did so, noticing the panic in Kakashi's voice. Kakashi also closed his normal eye, leaving his Sharingan locked on Itachi. "Listen both of you; under no circumstance shall you open your eyes. If you look into his eyes, it's all over. Just listen to what I tell you. Only a person with another Sharingan could probably fight this fight…"

"That is true, only another master of the Sharingan could challenge me. Some resitance could be made to this Mangekyo Sharingan" said Itachi. "However, this Sharingan has a special eye jutsu. My illusion Jutsu Tsukiyomi cannot be beaten. Only a Sharingan user with the same blood as me can defeat me."

"Freed!" exclaimed Kakashi, realizing what Itachi was hinting at. Itachi's Sharingan began to transform into a three-point shuriken as he activated the next level of his Sharingan. Suddenly, Kakashi felt the world around him grow dark.

Kakashi found himself in a dark world. Wondering where he was, he soon found himself chained to a post with his arms spread out. Standing in front of him was Itachi, who quickly multiplied to become about two dozen Itachis. Kakashi then felt a blade be jabbed into his gut.

"This is the world of Tsukuyomi. All of space, all of time, everything matter, everything is under my control" explained Itachi as he continued to stab Kakashi. "For the next seventy two hours, you will be stabbed by these katanas." For what felt like several hours, Kakashi was repeatedly stabbed by Itachi.

"I must say, I am impressed that you managed to hold out this long. Only seventy one hours, fifty nine minutes, and fifty nine seconds to go" said Itachi. It had only been the equivalent of one second and already Kakashi felt like he was ready to collapse into unconsciousness.

Suddenly, Kakashi dropped to the ground, sweating and out of breath. He felt like part of his soul had just been broken and that he was almost on the verge of dying. "Kakashi! What happened?" asked Kurenai.

'It seemed like weeks in there, yet it was only seconds here' Kakashi thought, still struggling to stay somewhat upright even though he was on his knees in mental pain. 'Why didn't he just kill me?'

"Heh…that Jutsu causes a breakdown in spirit. It's surprising he's still alive" said Kisame. "However Itachi, you should be careful about using that 'eye' as it causes you harm as well."

"You're…looking for…Freed?" Kakashi barely managed to get out.

"No" replied Itachi. " I want the nine tails"

"The…nine tails? What…do you want with…him?" said a heavy breathed Kakashi. Both Kurenai and Asuma had a feeling what Itachi was referring to. Laxus…

* * *

*Flashback*

"It's been awhile" said Kakashi to Jiraiya. "First time you've come home in how many years?"

"Kakashi" said Jiraiya. "I am going to be keeping Laxus in custody. It was the role of the third generation to watch over him. It was a good decision by the Sandaime to have you watch over him. I guess someone is trying to get you involved as well."

"What is it you want to tell me?" asked Kakashi, who was leaning against a railing next to Jiraiya.

"I have been watching Orochimaru's movements since he left the village. That person will return to the village someday" explained Jiraiya. "Since it's already clear…that's the beginning of something. At first, it was just about Orochimaru…"

"What about him?" Kakashi continued to ask.

"That guy joined a certain organization" said Jiraiya. Kakashi was now trying to get the details on that particular organization out of Jiraiya. "Although I don't know the full details, from what I know, it's called 'Akatsuki'. It's a small organization composed of 9 shinobi. So far, there has been little movement. Most of those people are listed as S-rank criminals in the bingo book. And Itachi is also with them. They are up to something. Recently, Orochimaru defected from the organization. The members move in teams of two at all times, assembling Justus and what not along the way."

"And they are after the Nine tails? Are you sure of it?" asked Kakashi.

"It's very likely" stated Jiraiya. "After all, it's one of the Tailed Beast. It's some of the strongest chakra out there. Kakashi, this is Laxus's fate, to live always watching over his back. I will take Laxus and begin to train him. I want you to look after Freed. After all, Itachi is in that organization."

*End Flashback*

* * *

"You're target is…the Laxus, isn't it?" asked Kakashi. Both Kurenai and Asuma were shocked by this revelation. "You have…begun to move, you don't think we know? The name of your organization is 'Akatsuki', isn't it?"

"Kisame, take out Kakashi" said a calm Itachi. "It is time for these people to disappear." Kisame charged forward.

"Dynamic Entry!" called out Gai as he landed a strong kick to Kisame's side, sending him back to Itachi.

"Who the hell is this?" asked Kisame.

"The Leaf's Prideful Green Beast" Gai proclaimed. "Might Gai!"

"What the…better yet…why don't I just mistake you for an exotic animal" said Kisame, still recovering from Gai's kick. As Gai arrived, Kakashi finally toppled over in pain. His mind had enough torment and needed to rest to try and recover, if possible.

"Gai! Don't look into Itachi's eyes!" warned Asuma. "That's what happened to Kakashi!"

"I already know about that. The way of fighting with Kakashi was done through the Sharingan" explained Gai. "I already know how to fight him. Both of you, open your eyes! It's alright as long as you don't look into his eye. Using the reflection is the only way that you are recognized and dealt with."

"The way you talk about it, so that's how it's done" realized Kurenai.

"That's pretty smart" admitted Asuma. "But there is only one person who can do that…you."

"There is a method to it, but…we don't have time" said Gai. "Get used to it now. Kurenai, take Kakashi to the medical center. Asuma and I will handle these two. I've already arranged for reinforcements…they will be here shortly."

"Heh…aren't you brave" taunted Kisame.

"Kisame, stop" ordered Itachi. "We did not come here to start a war…regrettably, let's leave." Kisame was slightly hesitant at first, but the two of them left, leaving the four Leaf jonin without their opponents.

* * *

"Oh, Sensei?" said Hiashi as Jiraiya entered the Hyuga compound. A few other Hyugas bowed to the well respected Master Jiraiya. "What brings you here? I thought you were leaving on a trip with Laxus?"

"I was, but something else caught my attention. I'm still on my way out, but I want to make a slight change to who I'm taking with me" explained Jiraiya. "I'm looking for a young Hyuga girl, main branch, blond, you know her?"

"Oh you must be talking about my daughter, Lucy" replied Hiashi. This was getting even more interesting.

"I thought Hitomi was sterile?" Jiraiya asked knowing Hiashi was loyal to Hitomi no matter what.

" Both Lucy and my youngest daughter Wendy where found in our room." Hitomi fell in love with them immediately and wouldn't take no for an answer."

"That sounds like , I'm thinking of also bringing her along. I planned on training Laxus while looking for Tsunade and I suppose I could offer her some training" explained Jiraiya.

"I suppose this means you are going to teach them chakra elemental manipulation?" asked Hiashi. Jiraiya nodded. While the Hyuga clan primarily focused on taijutsu, their members were also trained to a certain extent in ninjutsu, to help offset the disadvantage that range presented to them with the gentle fist. Every member in the clan had earth chakra, which complemented the Gentle Fist. Like the earth, the Gentle fist was powerful, firm, and unyielding. The Gentle Fist blocked the chakra flow of the body just like the earth did to the flow of water in rivers and streams. Hiashi figured that it was about time Lucy began to learn the earth element to help her progress in the art of the Gentle Fist and Jiraiya had been a good teacher for him in the past, despite some of his 'shortcomings'.

"Alright. Just let me go get some of the family scrolls that I believe will help her" explained Hiashi. It was at that time that Lucy walked into the compound. "Oh Lucy, good you're home."

"Father, what is Master Jiraiya doing here?" asked the young Hyuga.

"Jiraiya-sensei stopped by to discuss a training opportunity with you" explained Hiashi. Lucy was hoping that this was going where she thought it was. "Now, Jiraiya was the one who taught me and I felt that he did a very good job teaching me about the earth element that is common in all Hyuga. He's leaving on a journey for a few weeks and he has decided to bring you along and begin your training in elemental chakra."

"Lady Lucy, this is a good opportunity for you, I suggest you take it" encouraged Neji, who had joined the conversation for a few brief moments before leaving. Apparently, the elders of the clan wanted to speak to him about something.

"B-but why are you asking me? I-I thought you were taking L-Laxus?" asked Lucy.

"I am, I'll be taking both of you with me. Is there a problem?" said Jiraiya.

 _"I'm going on a trip with L-Laxus?"_ thought Lucy, going all red. "Eep" was all she could let out as she fainted to the ground at the very thought of being with Laxus for the next few weeks.

"I'll go prepare a few scrolls for you to take for Lucy's benefit, Jiraiya-sensei" said Hiashi. A rather cold and ominous look appeared in his eyes and his Byakugan activated. "I'm warning you though, do anything dishonorable with my daughter around, and let's just say you won't have chakra flowing to a certain part of your body." Jiraiya gulped at his student's threat.

"AHHHH!" A scream was heard from the nearby building that Neji had entered a few minutes ago. Jiraiya and Hiashi rushed over to see what the source of the scream was.

Neji found himself on the ground clutching his head and crying out in pain. "You have dishonored the clan by losing to that 'thing'" one of the elders said, activating the seal on Neji's head.

"What the hell are you doing!" shouted Hiashi, bursting into the room. "Let my nephew go immediately!"

"No! You failed to punish him for losing and dishonoring the clan, so now it is up to us to punish him" said one of the other elders.

Suddenly, the elders found themselves wrapped up by a tongue and thrown against the wall as the pain left Neji. Hiashi looked back to see that Jiraiya had summoned one of his toads to deal with the elders. Hiashi went to pick up Neji, who had fallen unconscious from the whole ordeal. He had finally let go of his grudge against the main house and this is what he had gotten. Both Hiashi and Jiraiya were disgusted. "If I may ask, why did you intervene, sensei?" Hiashi asked. He was grateful for Jiraiya's assistance, but curious as well.

"As a seal master, it sickens me to see seals used in that matter" said Jiraiya. The two proceeded over to Hiashi's house as the elders did their best to try and recover from being slammed into the wall. However, the force with which they had been thrown was rather large and they soon lost consciousness.

A few moments later, Hiashi came out with a handful of scrolls for Lucy's purpose, and one Jiraiya had never thought he would see. It was the scroll for the Caged Bird Seal. "Does this mean you want me to…?" asked Jiraiya.

"Yes if you could. You are the only one with the knowledge capable of removing the seal" explained Hiashi. "The elders have been growing out of control lately. Neji is not the first they have used the seal on unjustly, nor will he be the last if it cannot be removed. I beg you to find a way to remove it." The other side to Hiashi's request was that he was now looking at every possible means available to prevent him from having to seal one of his daughters within the next few years. If this meant finding a way to remove the seal, then he would do it. Also, he had made a silent promise to his brother's grave a few days ago to find a way to free Neji from that fate.

* * *

About an hour later, Jiraiya was at the gate with Laxus and Lucy, who still couldn't believe her luck. She would be spending a few weeks with Laxus. While Laxus still wasn't sure why Lucy was coming along, he was not denying that it would be nice to have someone who's not perverted coming along. Jiraiya was thinking of what was to come. He wasn't the author of the #1 best selling adult novels for nothing. It was obvious to him that Lucy had feelings for Laxus and It was even more obvious that Laxus didn't recognize those feelings, something that he would have to fix. It was time to play a little matchmaker.

* * *

 **A/N: Regarding the Hyuga clan and the Caged Bird Seal, it is the duty of the elders to seal the Hyuga branch members as they are the ones in charge of protecting the clan's traditions. Hiashi, being the clan head, has the duty of managing the other affairs regarding the clan.**

 **A/N: So I've introduced Danzo slightly in this chapter. I wont be bringing him back until later chapters so please hold off the Danzo bashing until then. I promise I'll give you a good reason to bash him later.**


	25. Chakra Release

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail and the First person to comment will be dedicated**

* * *

"Freed!" Both Evergreen and Bickslow shouted, meeting up with him in the street. When Freed turned towards them with his looking annoyed because Kakashi had left him back there. He was hoping to get in some good training today with Kakashi, but it looked as if that wasn't going to happen.

"Freed, we wanted to talk to you about you and Laxus" Bickslow said. From anyone that would sound weird but from Bickslow it usually means what you think it does.

"Me and Laxus are friends and rivals nothing else so don't even go there" Freed said close to yelling but didn't. This gets a laugh from Bickslow and Evergreen.

"Not like that, I meant with how Kakashi-sensei played favorites during the chunin exams" said Evergreen slightly angered at the end. At the confused look on his face meant that Kakashi didn't tell Freed so Evergreen and Bickslow filled Freed in on what happened.

"Your shitting me right. You mean that he didn't even tell the guy that we were pasted waterwalking already" said Freed said pissed. " I'm Surprised Laxus didn't react worse when Kakashi-sensei asked him about the Rasengan." That was a question the three silently agreed to ask later. And went their separate ways. Bickslow to go to a undamaged supplies store, Evergreen to Mira's to find out more about her crush and to tease her, and Freed went to some training grounds.

* * *

He found himself at the training grounds and soon began using his Chidori to determine the extent of the power he could unleash with that technique. "Damn it" he swore to himself. "What do I have to do to become stronger…but how?"

Freed went to seek out Kakashi, hoping to get his sensei to train him a little.

* * *

"That guy still hasn't found Laxus" said Gai. The four jonin were in the Kakashi's apartment as Kakashi was trying to recover from the excessive mental strain of their previous encounter.

"In this village, finding Laxus is pretty simple" Asuma explained. "Plus Itachi knows his face." Gai hurried to shush him as Freed came knocking on the door and entering the room.

"Kakashi?!" he said, startled to see his sensei laid out on the bed like he had just been hit by a truck. "Why is Kakashi sleeping? And why are all the jonin gathered here?" he questioned.

"Is the story that Itachi has returned and that he's chasing Laxus true?" Aoba, another village jonin, said bursting into the room.

"Idiot" Kurenai said, face palming herself. All of the Jonin looked at Freed and what they saw surprised them Instead of a look of hatred they saw a look of fear and worry on Freed's face.

* * *

"DAMN IT!" Freed yelled as he suddenly burst out of the room and began searching for Laxus, 'Damn it Dreyar if you I'll kick your ass' Freed thought. Knowingly that Laxus alone stood no chance against Itachi. Freed arrived at one of Laxus's favorite locations, Ichiraku's Ramen. He burst in there, but saw no Laxus.

"Old man, Laxus usually comes here for lunch, do you know where he went?" Freed asked Teuchi.

"Let's see" thought Teuchi. "Laxus stopped by just a few hours ago to grab some ramen before Jiraiya came and got him. Apparently they are going on some trip to find a certain woman."

"Jiraiya?" asked Freed, surprised that Laxus had left with him on a trip.

"Jiraiya is one of the Legendary Sanin" explained Teuchi. "Spotting him is easy. Just look for that big white hair of his." Much to Teuchi's displeasure, Freed went bolting out of the ramen stand in search for Laxus, without buying any ramen.

* * *

Kisame and Itachi were sitting on top of a rock, planning their next move in search of Laxus and the Nine tails.

"You can fight how and where you want, but I don't know" said Kisame. "The time is wrong."

"Ah. To meet those two and kill them. It's a good place to fight" said Itachi. "So they can't increase the number of people they have."

"It was good we found him at the ramen shop, but now he's protected by one of the Sanin" Kisame explained. "That guy might be a match for the #1 Leaf ninja and the Mist's 7 strongest."

"Yes, but it is said every strong man has a weak point.

* * *

Unfortunately for Jiraiya, the first day's journey had been rather uneventful. Laxus had been blabbering on about why Jiraiya asked him to come along and Lucy, who he hoped would act as a buffer and quiet Laxus down, was a few paces behind them, too shy to do anything else.

"Eh, Pervy Sage! Why did you choose me?" asked Laxus. "What sort of Jutsu are you going to teach me this time?"

"Pervy Sage?" Jiraiya was irritated by this name. "Hey you! Don't you know what an amazing person I am? It's been said that I'm the Toad Sage. And that's not all. In the north, in the south, east and west…The Legendary Sanin's white-haired frog summoning child! The handsome man that can silence a crying child! He's Lord Jiraiya, that's me!" chanted the Toda Sage.

Laxus just looked back at him with an empty look. "Huh?" he said. _'What are we going to do with this guy?'_

 **"I don't know, as long as you don't start introducing yourself like he does"** Kurama responded, also slightly irritated at the Toad Sage.

"So, Pervy Sage!" said an increasingly irritating Laxus. "Why did you bring us along? You're doing a sage class in cool Jutsu and we were the only who ranks high enough to get in?!"

"Heh…" Jiraiya smiled, patting Laxus on the head. "It's because you remind me of someone and Lucy's father actually was a student of mine.

Laxus, Lucy, and Jiraiya arrived at their first stop, Hima town. Hima town was known more for its red-light district and adult night life. However, the three of them were still able to find a normal hotel to stay in.

Suddenly, Jiraiya's pervert senses were tingling as a beautiful woman, with a slim and busty figure approached them, sending them a seductive look.

Laxus's sweat dropped and Lucy was left speechless. "Ahh!" Jiraiya called out, putting on his pervert face. "Laxus!"

"Huh?" Laxus said as Jiraiya was trying to get rid of the kids with him. "Here's the key to the room. Go up to the room and refine your chakra training."

"What?! Are you going to do adult stuff? You Pervy Sage!" shouted Laxus as Jiraiya tried to shut him up and shuffle him to the room.

 **"Pitiful, absolutely pitiful"** commented Kurama at Jiraiya.

"Umm…L-Laxus" said the shy Hyuga. "W-why d-do you call the great Master Jiraiya a p-p-pervy sage?"

"Trust me, he may act all cool and know some great Jutsu, but in reality, he's just a big pervert" said Laxus, Lucy's face turning red.

The two of them found themselves in a rather large room and decided that they should just get working on their chakra control. Lucy had become rather relaxed in her meditation. Laxus on the other hand, was in a heated debate with Kurama regarding just how big of a pervert Jiraiya actually was. "Damn…this sort of thing always happens when I'm training with Pervy Sage! Training my ass, I can see what he really had in mind!" complained Laxus.

* * *

Freed had just arrived at the same village that Laxus had arrived in a few hours ago and began frantically searching hotels for Laxus.

* * *

'Knock, knock' was heard on Laxus's door.

"Hmm, he's already been rejected and came crawling back?" said Laxus as he went to answer the door as Lucy was awakened from her meditation. He opened the door to see Itachi staring down at him. Laxus looked up with a mixture of puzzlement and fear. Who was this strange guy at the door?

 _"who is this guy he's got the same Sharingan as Freed."_ he thought

 **"Kit, I have a bad feeling about these two"** warned Kurama.

"Could this really be the Nine-Tails child?" asked Kisame.

"Nine-tails?!" thought Laxus. "How did he find out? Was I not careful enough?"

"Yep, this could get ugly…"

"Laxus, we would like you to come with us" offered Itachi. "Come out of the room."

"L-Laxus? W-who are these t-two?" asked Lucy appearing behind them. Laxus was being hesitant here. The Fox was constantly sending him warning signs, hoping to buy time for the Perverted Sage to pick up on something and maybe come to the rescue. With the presence of Lucy, he knew he couldn't lash out with the Fox chakra. If there was one thing that Laxus had realized about Lucy, it was that she had been one of the very few people who had always been nice to him. He couldn't remember a time where she had ever insulted him or hurt him. In fact, she had tried to do the complete opposite and help him. Even he knew that she was one of the few people he could actually call a friend and he was afraid the Fox chakra would just scare her off like it did with most of the village.

"Itachi, it's time we got started" said Kisame. "We don't need him running around, we should cut off a leg." Kisame reached for his sword.

"L-Laxus!" cried Lucy as she now realized the situation they were in.

"Hmm…it's been awhile…Freed" Itachi said, his attention shifting down the hall.

"Itachi…Uchiha" Freed said, stepping around a corner into the hall that Laxus and the two Akatsuki members were standing in.

"You are…Today is a special day indeed. This is the second time I've seen another Sharingan user" replied Kisame.

Freed's face lit up with a massive amount of killing intent. "You will…not hurt… My Friend!" declared Freed, activating his Sharingan

"Itachi Uchiha?" said Laxus starring up at the older Uchiha. "This is…that man Freed is always talking about!" "Who are these people and what do they want?"

"Hmm… you seem to be familiar with him, Itachi" said Kisame. "Who is this guy?"

"He's…my little brother" Itachi replied.

 _"This is the man…Freed needs to kill?"_ thought Laxus.

 **"It would seem so. Where is that pervert? I can sense that these two are well out of yours and Freed's league"** said Kurama **. "It just sucks that your Vixen is here. That's going to make me helping that much more complicated."**

Itachi and Freed locked eyes, both Sharingan looking into the other's soul. "I've been waiting to say this…I've lived hating you… and I don't care anymore!" shouted Freed. "You will not hurt anyone close to me again!" Freed activated his Chidori and began charging full speed towards Itachi, tearing up the wall of the hallway in the process. Freed lashed out at Itachi with his attack, only for it to be deflected into the wall next to them. The two of them locked eyes, one filled with a combination of pride and curiosity and the other filled with fear and anger.

 **"This is bad…Kurama, I need some chakra if I'm going to save Freed"** Laxus said.

With a quick flick of his wrist, Itachi snapped Freed's arm and sending him to the ground in pain.

"Freed!" shouted Laxus . "Summoning…"

"Too late" smiled Kisame as he hit Laxus with his sword, draining the chakra that the kid had collected for the Jutsu.

"What the?! I can't feel my chakra!" said Laxus in shock. "Did you do something?"

"No, it's that sword of his I think" replied the Fox.

"Heh, my sword, Samehada, eats up chakra" explained Kisame. "Now that your Jutsu is gone, you shouldn't be any more problems. Now should I cut off an arm or a leg first?" Laxus tried to gather some chakra as Kisame swung his sword at Laxus. The attack was blocked by a toad wearing arm guards. Jiraiya had arrived just in time.

"You don't seem to know much about me" said Jiraiya. "I'm better than getting girls than they are at getting me. Even though I don't look like it, it's my specialty." Jiraiya had the woman from before draped over his shoulder. She was unconscious from something, most likely Jiraiya giving her some sort of drug.

"I, Jiraiya, this epitome of manliness! I will fall for no woman's feminine wiles!" shouted Jiraiya, beginning one of his introductions. "When you're someone like me, you only have to flash that sexiness to have woman fall to your feet!" After all was said and done, he was in his pose. Lucy's sweat dropped at Jiraiya's introduction.

 **"Kit, I've changed my mind"** said the Fox, who almost face planted into the floor of Laxus's mindscape. **"I think we are better off going with that Uchiha and Fishface."** Sadly, Laxus kind of agreed.

"Oh yeah!" shouted Laxus. "That girl just winked at you and you were scampering after her! And now you're trying to look all cool and classy, you Pervy Sage!"

"Hey, can't you stop calling me that in front of others?" asked Jiraiya. Lucy was slowly realizing that Master Jiraiya may in fact be a big pervert. Why did she come? Oh yeah, Laxus.

"Screw that, it's those guys over there we should be worrying about, Pervy Sage!" shouted Laxus.

Freed was still on the ground in pain as Kisame and Itachi turned their attention to the Sanin. "So it's one of the Sanin, the great Jiraiya, eh?" asked Kisame. "You like beautiful women but we weren't thinking that such a simple method could successfully stall you."

Jiraiya set the woman down. "So you guys used genjutsu on her to get her to draw me away? Not a very manly way of doing things" claimed Jiraiya. "So you really are after Laxus!"

This realization shook Laxus. Itachi looked at Jiraiya. "No wonder Kakashi knew about this, you were the source of his information." Said Itachi. "To abduct Laxus…those were the orders given to us by the higher people in our organization."

"A-abduct L-Laxus?" said Lucy, looking over at Laxus.

"Hmm, you won't get Laxus" said Jiraiya. "Because you two are going to die right here at my hand!"

"Don't do it!" Freed shouted, standing up. "This guy is MINE!" The hatred and rage was gathering inside him as he looked at his brother, the man who killed his entire clan.

"I'm not interested in you now, Freed" replied Itachi. Freed charged at Itachi in a blinded rage. Itachi quickly countered, slamming his fist into Freed's stomach, causing him to drop over and cough up blood. Itachi slammed Freed into a wall, causing him to cough up even more blood and Laxus was forced to look on as his teammate was beaten to a pulp.

 _"Damn it…there is still such a gap"_ thought Freed as he was getting thrown into the wall. _"Why is there such a big difference?"_ Freed fell to the floor, exhausted and ready to pass out from the beating; however, Itachi wouldn't even afford him that luxury. He picked up Freed and stared into his younger brother's eyes, activating his Mangekyō Sharingan.

Freed woke inside the genjutsu world of Tsukuyomi. In front of him was his entire clan on their knees with Itachi standing behind them, sword in hand. "Freed, for the next twenty four hours, you will relive that day!" With that, Itachi began to slaughter the Uchiha clan in front of Freed…again.

* * *

"Aaaaaaarrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhh!" Freed screamed out in pain.

"Itachi, I advise you against using your eyes so many times in a single day" warned Kisame.

Laxus began running towards them, hoping to save Freed. "Assholes!"

Jiraiya made a few hand seals and suddenly the hallway began to turn into a slimy pink tube. It was like they were inside something's stomach. "Ninja art: Toad mouth bind!" shouted Jiraiya. "Too bad, Itachi, Kisame. You are already inside my stomach!"

"Freed, why are you so weak?" Itachi asked as the wall began absorbing Freed. "Still not enough…hatred!"

"I summoned the esophagus of the giant toad from mount Myoboku" exclaimed Jiraiya. "I hope you wanted criminals enjoy being food for Iwagama!" Laxus began freaking out before he saw something and paled, Lucy was even a bit grossed out by what was happening. "Don't worry you two. Just stay still. It's my Jutsu!"

Kisame and Itachi tried to flee before they were digested. "The wall of flesh is closing in!" shouted Kisame, panic setting in.

Jiraiya and Laxus followed them, only to see a hole in the wall with black flames burning around the edge. 'The black flamed of Amaterasu…surely the wall was torn apart by them' Jiraiya realized. He pulled a scroll out and began to scribe a seal on it. After making a quick hand seal, the black flames were absorbed into it. "Fuuinjutsu: Fire seal, highest rank!"

Jiraiya recalled the esophagus and the hallway returned to normal. Freed was sitting against a way. He was in the same state as Kakashi was after taking the mental beating of Tsukuyomi.

"Dynamic Entry!" shouted Gai as he lashed out at an unsuspecting Jiraiya, sending him back into the wall. After a quick apology, Jiraiya informed Gai that he needed to be taken back to the hospital. Laxus was wondering if Freed would be okay and Jiraiya informed him that it was now more imperative that they found Tsunade as she was the only one who could fully heal Freed. Gai also mentioned that Kakashi had suffered from the same Jutsu. Laxus tried to talk Jiraiya into letting him go after the two Akatsuki, but Jiraiya tried to shut him up. After some talking, Jiraiya finally got Laxus to realize that their best bet was to find Tsunade. Gai departed to take Freed back to the hospital to try and recover.

The three set off on their journey. And now Lucy was the one left wondering. "M-master Jiraiya, w-what d-did those men want with L-Laxus?" she finally asked. It was now that Jiraiya was regretting bringing her along.

"It's not so much of Laxus that they were after, it's well…I can't really say right now" said Jiraiya.

"I-is this a-about the N-N-Nine tails?" asked Lucy. Everyone was shocked, frozen in place. Even Kurama was hit by this.

"H-H-How?" now it was Laxus's turn to stutter.

"W-well, w-when I was 8, o-one of the clan elders…well, t-they told me, h-hoping that I w-would h-hate you and stay away from you" explained Lucy. "B-but, I-I could n-never hate you Laxus. That only made me admire you more. You had a demon inside yet you were always so positive." Jiraiya knew this would make good ammunition against the Hyuga elders should it be needed.

Laxus's jaw dropped and so did the Fox's. **"This Vixen is definitely a keeper"** Kurama thought to himself.

Laxus felt something warm inside him. He had no clue what it was, but it was there. It had came from Lucy's little confession about knowing his secret and the fact that even still, she wanted to be his friend. "Lucy, thank you. You don't know how much that means to me" replied Laxus.

Jiraiya hated to ruin the moment, but they had to move on quick. "Oh, and Lucy you know you can't refer to the Nine tails inside of The Leaf. We usually just call him 'Fuzzball'" joked Jiraiya.

 **"…Let me out so I can rip that mouth of his off! I'm the Demon Nine-tailed Fox, not 'Fuzzball!"** shouted Kurama inside Laxus

"Hehe, you made Fuzzball angry" laughed Laxus. Kurama just growled at the two. _"Oh lighten up, it's just a joke."_

"W-wait…y-you c-can actually t-talk to t-the N-Nine tails?" asked Lucy. Laxus sighed, he would have to do something about recording this conversation. As they traveled, Laxus told Lucy basically the same thing he had told everyone else so far, that the Fox was just misunderstood and that he really wasn't evil. Lucy, being Lucy, easily accepted what Laxus was saying. This was before Jiraiya confirmed to her the power of the contract between the two. "A-alright, but the Nine tails, what exactly is he anyways?"

"The Nine tails is an ancient demon. People of old would fear it" explained Jiraiya. "As to why they would want it? I don't know. However, I guess they are trying to find a way to harness and control its powers. They are going to keep coming after you, but I'll be there to protect you so you don't…"

"And that's why I need to become stronger!" claimed Laxus. "They hurt Freed and Kakashi-sensei and they would no doubt hurt other friends of mine. I need to become stronger so that I can protect them. Plus, I can't just let them have Kurama. I made him a promise and I won't let it go because that's my nindo!" This as well strengthened Lucy's resolve. She was going to get stronger with Laxus so that he wouldn't have to face this 'Akatsuki' group alone.

 _'Heh, now that's Laxus for you'_ thought Jiraiya. "Just remember, we need to make YOU strong. You can't continue relying on the Nine tail's power. I think the two of you realize that or else you would have gone full Nine tails-mode back there. Don't worry, I said I was going to make you strong and I will.

"Are you okay Laxus you paled after they ran." Lucy said giving Jiraiya a reason to worry. Laxus just gave a small smile.

"I'm okay. It's just if I saw what I think I saw" he said while shaking his. "I don't know what to think of it."

"Alright! Then let's hurry and get started on finding this Tsunade so she can heal Freed and Kakashi-sensei and we can get to training!" shouted a once again hyperactive Laxus. This caused Jiraiya to chuckle and wonder if the hyperactivity is a Nine-tails Jinchuriki. He calmed down as something came to mind. "So this Tsunade, she's one of the Sanin? Like you? Then how old is she?"

"My age" Jiraiya smiled.

"Wow, she's old then. What's she like?" asked Laxus.

"Well, she's kinda annoying. She's a compulsive gambler and well known in lots of countries." Jiraiya continued on with his explanation.

"Well, she'll be easy to find if she's famous!" said Laxus.

"Oh yeah, she's famous alright. She's know far and wide as the Legendary…" said Jiraiya.

* * *

"I want to turn all my money into chips!" shouted Tsunade, slamming a case full of money down onto the table in a local gambling hall. The guys around the table just looked at her with odd looks.

"Who is she?" whispered one of the men to another.

"This person has a nickname, don't you know?" responded one of the other men.

"Nickname?" replied the first man.

"Yeah, the Legendary…Sucker!" the man said. Suddenly all the other men sitting at the table had a big grin beginning to show on their face. Tsunade's assistant, Shizune, started freaking out, realizing that they knew who she was and that they were going to be taking full advantage of that.

* * *

"Hmm, she may have a name, but I don't think she'll be easy to find" said Jiraiya. "She isn't the type to age gracefully, so she'll probably be using a special Jutsu to change her appearance. She may be 50, but she'll probably look to be in her mid 20's. And, I've been hearing that she changes her age from 10 to 40 to 20 to get away from her gambling debts."

 **"Humans. Some just can't seem to accept mortality "** snickered the Fox.

 _"Hey, so how old are you?_ " asked Laxus.

 **"Hmm, me? Well I've been around for a little over 777 years"** responded the Fox.

 _"Umm what's with all the sevens?"_ asked Laxus getting a shrug in return. " _So how old is your father?"_

 **"Well, the one I considered my old man died almost 777 years ago. He was a mortal like you, but the first thing that I respected. I have some stories, but I'll save those for another day"** responded Kurama.

* * *

"Tsunade as a kid loved to gamble more than anything" continued Jiraiya. "Unfortunately, she sucked at it in both skill and luck. She earned the nickname 'sucker' a long time ago. Back then, she was always borrowing money and then running away…ahh those were the days."

"Heh, so you must miss those days" said Laxus. "Well, so how are we going to find her then?"

"Since we are going by foot, there are many ways of doing this…" Jiraiya said vaguely.

"That means we don't know…So how long is it going to take?" asked Laxus.

"We don't have much time to spare, and we will be spending most of that time…" stated Jiraiya. "On the two of you."

Laxus and Lucy were slightly confused as they came to the edge of the next town. After checking into the hotel, Jiraiya took the two genin to the outskirts of town. "So, Pervy Sage! What's this training? What makes it better than Chidori?"

"Well, you could say this is the same type of training that Freed went through to get his Chidori" explained Jiraiya as Laxus got excited. "Now, the first thing I want for you to do is teach Lucy here, your shadow clone Jutsu."

"What?!" they both said in unison. "I guess I'm fine showing it to her, but why does she need the shadow clone Jutsu?" asked Laxus.

"Hmm, you don't know about the other benefit of using shadow clones?" asked Jiraiya. Laxus questioned him as to what the 'other benefit' was. Jiraiya explained to Laxus that any knowledge and experience gained by the clones would transfer back to the original. "This training requires a lot of time, so we are going to use shadow clones to make the most of it. Think of it this way, if you train for an hour with three clones, that would be the same as three hours of training."

"Wow!" exclaimed Laxus. "So if I were to train with over a hundred clones, that would be a hundred hours of training in an hour?"

A hundred clones? A hundred Laxus? Lucy was having trouble comprehending this without turning bright red. Of course, a hundred clones was nothing for Laxus, who created over a thousand to beat up Mizuki once. If Lucy thought of that, she would most certainly faint.

"More or less, but you don't get the experience until you dispel them" explained Jiraiya. "This method will help both of you and you two will be using shadow clones to master each step of this training. I don't expect Lucy to be able to create anywhere near as many clones as you can, but even two or three will help but Laxus try to keep the amount of clones when training around one hundred it can cause an information overload and can give you a nasty headache."

"Alright, let's get to it then!" shouted Laxus. Jiraiya went into the town to collect 'information' on Tsunade's whereabouts, leaving Laxus to work with Lucy for the rest of the day.

Their training continued for the next day that they were in town and on that evening, Lucy finally got it as she stared at an exact, physical copy of herself. Despite not having a large chakra reserve, her superior control greatly helped with creating the clone. "Yeah! You did it, Lucy!" shouted Laxus, testing that the close was actually solid. Like its original, the Lucy clone even possessed the ability to faint when Laxus got too close. For the first time in her life, she actually saw what it was like to faint in front of Laxus as the original Lucy was embarrassed that she had been doing that now for a few years.

"Well, it looks like the two of you are done" said Jiraiya, returning to the outskirts of town to join them. He looked down to see the unconscious clone before it was dispelled.

"Y-yes, w-well I can only make a few, n-no m-more than two" said Lucy as she felt a rather large drain on her chakra reserves.

"So does this mean we can start working on that Chidori training?" asked Laxus, eager to get on with this awesome training Jiraiya had promised.

"Like I said, you are probably not the right type for Chidori" restated Jiraiya.

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" asked Laxus.

"For Jutsu, there are five basic elements: Fire, wind, water, lightning, and earth. These five elements are the foundation for all Jutsu" said Jiraiya. "Most people have chakra that naturally leans strongly towards one of these natures. For example, the Uchiha clan was full of people with the fire affinity."

"Wait, but what about Freed? I thought Chidori was a lightning technique?" asked Laxus.

"Yes, well it turns out that Freed also has a strong lightning nature to his chakra as well" explained Jiraiya.

"So it's possible to have more than one element?" asked Laxus.

"Yes. In fact, most jonin are able to use two or more elements. For example, my main element is fire, but I can also use earth, wind and water elements with my Jutsu" said Jiraiya. "Most people have one nature that they are particularly strong in and some people even have two. Just because you are strong in one element, doesn't mean you can't use other elements. With the appropriate training, you can master elements that you are not as strong with, although they will never be as strong as your main element."

"Alright, I think I get it. So I have a main element, but I can learn other ones as well." Jiraiya nodded. "Wow! Hey Lucy, do you know what element your chakra has?"

"W-well, my entire clan has an earth element, so I-I should as well" said Lucy. "I hope my element is earth. What would father say if it wasn't? If I don't have an earth element, then would he see me as a complete failure again?" worried Lucy.

"You mean you don't know? Well then how do we check? And what is my element, Pervy Sage?" said Laxus, irritating Jiraiya.

"Calm down Laxus. We'll check with these cards." Jiraiya pulled out a few chakra litmus cards from his pouch. Jiraiya channeled some chakra into them and the paper burst into flames. "Just channel some chakra into them. If you're fire natured, the card will burn. Wind cuts it in half. Lightning crumples the paper. Water gets it wet. Earth crumbles to dust."

Jiraiya handed a card to Laxus and Laxus did as instructed, channeling chakra into the paper. When he looked at the paper, it was cut in half, indicating a wind nature just as Jiraiya was about to respond the left side crumbled and the right got completely saturated. "What the hell three elements." A shocked Jiraiya said. " well wind combines brute force and keen precision to deal cutting and slashing damage , Lightning gives weapons a piercing ability and faster movement it and its range is mainly close range with a few long and mid range and water can not only change shape but state as well ."

"But wait, you're don't have a lightning element. How are you going to teach me?" asked a concerned Laxus.

"Don't worry, I had a past student with a Lightning nature and I trained him just fine." Jiraiya reassured Laxus. "You have no idea how rare it is to have three elements.

"Wow! Really?" shouted Laxus. "That's awesome! I'm going to get so powerful! Freed won't know what hit him!"

Jiraiya turned to Lucy and handed her a card. _"Please be earth. Please be earth."_ She thought, closing her eyes and channeling chakra into her card.

"Wow Lucy, that's great!" shouted Laxus as Lucy opened her eyes. He card had not crumbled to dirt and instead it had split into two like Laxus's and dampened. Jiraiya's eyebrow rose as he examined what had just peaked his interest. This little Hyuga had a wind element, just like he had hoped Hiashi would have had.

Lucy began to panic a little. "Oh no. I don't have an earth element. What's father going to say?" worried Lucy.

"Huh? Why's that?" asked Laxus, now curious as to why she was freaking out.

"M-my c-clan is r-really strict with this sort of t-thing" she said. "The elders will s-surely l-label me a f-failure now."

"What?! That's just dumb. Wind is a great element…uhh, hey Pervy Sage, what's good about the wind element again?" Jiraiya nearly face planted.

Jiraiya bent down, trying to cheer the now depressed Lucy up. "The wind element is almost like a blade. To be honest, I was hoping that Hiashi would have had a wind element and I can see the potential it has within the Gentle Fist. The idea is to make the chakra as sharp and thin as possible, increasing its cutting power."

"Y-you mean l-like my Protection of the Eight Trigrams?" asked Lucy, remembering how she had developed this. This actually interested Jiraiya even more and he requested her to show him that technique. After analyzing the attack, there was indeed wind chakra mixed into it. To have been able to unknowingly transform her chakra like that, Lucy was a natural when it came to the cutting nature of wind. "B-but Lord Jiraiya, w-why d-did you want my father to have a wind element?"

"Hmm. Think of it this way. The Gentle Fist relies on blocking the Chakra points and chakra flow of opponents. Just like the earth blocks the flow of water in a stream. That's why they Hyuga have strong earth elements" explained Jiraiya. "Now, if you add wind chakra to your gentle fist, you wouldn't be attacking the chakra network with a simple burst of chakra, but rather a blade of it. It's the same way as if I took a knife to a blood vessel inside you and cut it. However, unlike blood vessels, the chakra network is harder to repair. With enough refinement, you could develop a style that effectively destroys the opponent's chakra network rather than blocking it."

"R-Really?!" Lucy sounded surprised and now a bit excited. For ages, the Hyuga have been looking for a way to actually destroy an opponent's chakra network instead of just blocking it.

"Woah! That's so cool Lucy!" exclaimed Laxus, causing the girl to blush a little. "Hey Pervy Sage, if the wind element is that awesome, how come I haven't seen it more?"

Jiraiya chuckled a little. "A wind affinity is rare. As far as I know, there is only one other person other than us in Leaf with a wind chakra nature."

"Really?! Who?" asked Laxus.

"Asuma Sarutobi" stated Jiraiya. "If you want, you can go ask him for advice when we get back, but like I said, I used to have a student with a wind element so I know how to teach the two of you."

"Well what are we waiting for then?! What do we do?" shouted a now hyper Laxus. Lucy smiled at the energy displayed by her crush.

Jiraiya went over to a nearby tree and picked a few leaves off the tree and handed it to the two of them. "Using only your chakra, I want the two of you to cut the leaf into two. I recommend you each use shadow clones as that will increase your experience.

With that, Jiraiya left the two to their training, much to Laxus's displeasure. Regardless, the two began training for the rest of the evening, creating their shadow clones. For Laxus, he had just over 100 clones, while Lucy only had 2 other clones, which had started off the session unconscious as the sight of a hundred Laxus.

It wasn't long until Lucy had her leaf cut in half. Having already developed her Protection of the Eight Trigrams, she was already able to sharpen her chakra to the point where she could cut the leaf with ease.

Neji had just woken up, the excruciating pain still pounding in his head from when the elders activated his seal. He heard a knock on his door and instructed whoever it was to come in. It was Hiashi. Neji wasn't sure what to think right now. On one side, Hiashi had talked to him the other day and was finally glad that Hiashi had revealed the truth about that night. On the other hand, the main family had just used the seal on him.

"Neji, I came here to apologize for the inappropriate and unjust actions of the elders" apologized Hiashi. "However, there is something I wish to discuss with you. Come to training ground 16 in an hour." With that Hiashi left and Neji was left contemplating what it was that his uncle wanted to talk to him about.

About an hour later, Neji was standing at training ground 16 with Hiashi approaching him. Hiashi activated his Byakugan and scanned the surrounding area, they were alone. "Uncle, if I may ask, what is this about?"

"Neji, I came here to tell you something. Something regarding the seal on your head" said Hiashi. This instantly caught Neji's full attention. "As you know, it is the elders who are in charge of branding Hyuga with the caged bird seal and recently, they have become more carefree about activating it. I just had a little chat with them and they have agreed to lay off activating the seal."

Neji felt relieved by this. "I am thankful for that, but what is to stop them in the future if they ever start abusing it again?"

"As of now, not much. The real reason I asked you to come here is that I am currently looking into a way to remove the seal." This shocked Neji. The removal of the caged bird seal? He would give just about anything to have it removed. "As you are aware, there is no current method to remove the seal. However, I have asked Master Jiraiya, my old master and the best seal master around, to look into finding a way to remove it. I have faith that he will be able to do so and once that day comes, I fully intend to have yours removed."

Neji was speechless. The head of the main branch was actually looking for a way to get rid of the seal that practically subjugated the branch families. "But…why?" was all he could say.

"I will admit my reasons at first were rather selfish" explained Hiashi. "At first, it was because I didn't want either of my daughters to suffer the fate. For the past few years, I figured that Hanabi would be the heir unless Lucy began showing some potential, which she did these past few months. The one thing I have always regretted, and you have helped me see this, was that the whole idea of the Caged Bird Seal drove my brother and I apart. I didn't want to see my daughters suffer that same fate, as the day would most likely come where they would have to compete against one another as to which became the heir and which one was sealed. I realized that there was no way I could let that happen."

"I see" replied Neji. "So you are looking for a way to save your daughters from that fate should the day come that it befell one of them."

"Yes, that was my original intentions; however, with the recent activities of the elders, if that seal is not removed, they could potentially drive this family into ruin, especially you" said Hiashi.

"Me?" asked a surprised Neji.

"Yes. You were born into the branch family; unable to become the heir, yet it is obvious that you have more potential than anyone in this clan. I can't let the elders take away the opportunities that you still have, and this is now something I want to do, for my brother and the one who reminds me so much of my brother" explained Hiashi. Neji felt a few tears come to his eyes as Hiashi mentioned his father. "Like I said before, I have dealt with the elders for now and you shouldn't have to worry for awhile. I am also offering to take you as my student to learn the techniques of the main family."

Now Neji was shocked. Hiashi had just offered him all the Hyuga techniques. No longer would he have to reverse engineer them like he did with the Heavenly Spin or the Eight Trigrams. Neji gratefully accepted Hiashi's offer.

 **A/N: Yes, Lucy has known about the Nine tails for a few years, thanks to one of the Hyuga elders trying to frighten her away from Laxus.**

 **A/N: Here is a little explanation on how Lucy was able to get the Shadow Clone technique down fairly quick. The Jutsu itself is not entirely that difficult. What makes it a B-rank technique is the chakra requirement. Also, Lucy's Byakugan allows her to observe how Laxus molded the chakra for the Jutsu and thanks to her superior control, she was able to replicate the technique after about a day of training. Although Laxus did have to do the Jutsu and slow it down for her at the beginning. This is nothing compared to the Sharingan in the sense of observing techniques, but it gives Lucy an edge in training chakra and chakra control. As her chakra reserves are not that large, the most shadow clones Lucy will be able to make for a while will be 2. I thought the shadow clone limit would help moderate the build a little. Also Laxus storm bloodline was the cause of the paper acting this way and I will explain later why. Also Freed was acting like was because he was touched by Laxus and while he does want revenge his friendships and forming love with Mira.**

 **Hope you enjoyed. The training sessions in here were a little difficult to write, but hopefully I did them correctly, along with Lucy's revealing she knew about the Nine tails. Reviews and comments appreciated.**


	26. Finding Tsunade

**Disclaimer : I do not own Naruto or fairy tail and the first person to comment will be dedicated. This Chapter is dedicated to** **DarkCielo27.**

* * *

"You're Late!" screamed Evergreen. She and Bickslow have been waiting on the bridge for about an hour and a half, waiting for Kakashi to show up. "Wait, you're not Kakashi-sensei."

"Oh, Zabuza" said Bickslow, realizing that it was Zabuza who had shown up and not Kakashi.

"Impressive girl, you're able to tell people apart even if they are wearing masks" mocked Zabuza.

 _"Why that little…How dare he insult me like that! "_ said thought Evergreen as she became increasing irritated.

"Why are you here Zabuza?" asked Bickslow curiously. "We were supposed to meet Kakashi-sensei today for our training."

"Kakashi won't be joining you for a little. I'm afraid he's fallen ill and is going to be in the hospital for a while" explained Zabuza. "I talked to him earlier today and he asked me to fill in for the two of you."

"Two of us? What about Freed?" asked Evergreen.

"And Laxus" asked Bickslow.

"From what I've heard, that little blonde brat went on a short trip with that Jiraiya" said Zabuza. "Justine is in the hospital as well. Apparently he's got the same illness as Kakashi."

"Anyway because of Kakashi's illness I will be in charge of mission so get ready maggots." Zabuza finished.

* * *

It had been four days since Laxus and Lucy left with Jiraiya in search of Tsunade, the candidate for the position of Fifth Hokage. Lucy had gotten a good grasp on cutting her leaf while Laxus was really struggling. He had managed to put a small knick in the leaf, but despite training with nearly 100 clones, it still wasn't enough.

It was getting late in the evening and they finally came to the next town in their journey, a small town called Rakuza, which was about 50km south of The Leaf. The group decided that they were going to settle down here for the next day. Laxus and Lucy could focus on their training while Jiraiya gathered information.

Late at night, the three of them had turned in for the night. Laxus often had strange dreams and this woke him up. Upon looking around, he saw that Lucy was not in her bed. At first, he thought that she just had to go, but then he noticed the window was open. He was sure the window had been closed when they went to sleep. Upon further inspection, he saw Lucy, sitting on the roof and staring up at the sky, thinking on something.

Laxus crawled out to join her. Lucy realized that Laxus was coming up behind her and began to turn red; almost bright enough to act as light on that night. "L-Laxus? W-what are you d-doing up?"

"Well, I kind of woke up" he said. "But what are you doing, sitting out here?"

"Just thinking" she replied.

"Huh? Thinking about what?" asked Laxus.

"N-nothing really, j-just the training from the previous days" said Lucy. "I-it's just, what will my father think when I tell him that I don't have earth natured chakra. Until about a month ago, my father saw me as a failure. In fact, he pushed me aside so that he could focus on my sister's training, who had more potential than me. I never was really good at the Gentle Fist and they saw me as weak. But, w-when you cheered for me in the preliminaries, I…I decided that it was time I became strong. And because of that, my father began to acknowledge me. He finally had hope in me as a shinobi and he sounded so happy when Jiraiya came and told him that he would train me for a few weeks. But now…I, well I don't even know how I'm going to tell him. Why do I feel that he's going to be disappointed in me?"

Laxus thought for a few moments. A lot of Lucy's past had been just like his, full of disappointment. It wasn't until just recently that both of them had begun to show who they truly were and to be honest, the last thing Laxus wanted was a sad Lucy. "Don't worry about that Lucy" he said. "I'm sure if you do your best and try your hardest, that your father will certainly be happy with you. I mean, just because you're a little different, doesn't mean that's a bad thing."

"But, what will my clan think?" asked Lucy.

"I'm sure everything will be fine. I don't really know much about this, but isn't a family supposed to support you all the way?" stated Laxus. "Besides, from what I've seen from you and heard from Pervy Sage, you having a wind element will be awesome!"

"Do…do you really think so?" asked Lucy, her spirits picking up.

"Yeah. I guess that could be why you say that you're not good at the Gentle Fist, which you are amazing at by the way. If you really want to impress your father, then create a style that works with your wind element and you'll be kicking ass in no time" encouraged Laxus. "Besides, I'm glad you have a wind element."

"You…you are?" she said.

"Yeah, I mean it would get rather lonely being the only one in the village with a wind element. Besides, now the two of us can work together to come up with some really awesome Jutsu!" exclaimed Laxus.

 _"The two of us? Working together?"_ thought Lucy as she blushed a little. Laxus turned to her, wondering why she always turned red and if she wasn't feeling good. "No, I'm fine. Thanks to you, N-Laxus."

"Me? What did I do?" asked an oblivious Laxus.

"You did what you always do. You make people feel better" said Lucy. "And you know what? I'm glad I came, even if I was disappointed with myself at first. I'm glad that I could finally spend some time with you, L-Laxus."

 _"Even after everything that happened, being attacked by those Akatsuki freaks, finding out about the Nine-tails, and even after all these years, she doesn't hate me, she's never hated me? What is this feeling I get when we talk like this?"_ thought Laxus. "Thanks Lucy, I'm glad you came along to. I feel like we've become close friends."

 _"He…he thinks of me as a close friend?"_ this caused Lucy to blush a dark shade of red and Laxus thought she was getting sick. He suggested that they go to bed and they did so, the troubling thoughts had finally left Lucy's mind, and any trace of Laxus's nightmare had left. Unbeknown to them, they weren't the only ones awake.

 _"You could have done better there, but not too bad Laxus"_ thought Jiraiya as he went back to sleep as well.

* * *

"Ohhh…ahhgg! My arms!" screamed Orochimaru.

"Lord Orochimaru, the medicine, quickly!" said Kabuto, running to his master's side.

"That kind of crappy medicine, I don't need it" hissed Orochimaru. "I mixed the medicine myself; it should make you feel at least a little better. "The burning pain…I never expected it to be so much!"

"Sarutobi…the Third Hokage, master…the wound from his final curse, no wonder it's so painful" said Kabuto.

"No need for further explanations…the woman, did you find her?" asked Orochimaru in pain.

"Yes, it seems she's at a place called Tanzaku town" said Kabuto. "However, it won't be easy to capture her."

"Is that so?..." hissed Orochimaru. "The best cure is always the hardest to find, right?"

* * *

Morning came and Laxus and Lucy were back to their training. Lucy was now at the point where she could effortlessly split her leaf, but Laxus was still struggling. Finally, he decided to ask for help.

"Hey Lucy, how did you split your leaf?" asked Laxus.

"Y-you need to make the chakra as fine and thin as possible" Lucy said, activating her Byakugan. "Just start channeling your chakra through the leaf and I'll use my Byakugan to help you out."

"Wow, you can do that? That's great!" complimented Laxus.

Laxus began to channel the chakra into the leaf and Lucy saw what was wrong. She helped Laxus make a few tweaks to his chakra and before long, he was able to produce a finer beam of chakra. It was nowhere near Lucy fine, but it was a definite improvement. It wasn't much longer before Laxus was able to generate a fine enough chakra to cut his leaf in half, thanks to Lucy's help.

* * *

Jiraiya was sitting at a bar in town, inquiring if anyone knew Tsunade. "Sorry, I've never seen her before" said one of the men.

"I know that person" said another man, catching Jiraiya's attention. "I even know her whereabouts."

"Well alright, looks like the next round is my treat then…" said Jiraiya. After a little over a week, they finally had a lead on Tsunade's location.

"That sis…she's rubbed me off quite a few times, you know?" said the man. Jiraiya knew where this was going.

"She's still losing, eh?" asked Jiraiya and the man just nodded.

"That Legendary Sucker is still gambling, even now" said the man.

"Where?" Asked Jiraiya.

"Tanzaku town" replied the man.

"Oh? That's not too far from here" said Jiraiya.

* * *

Jiraiya came up to the two genin, who were practicing with their elemental training. He asked them how it was going and they showed him the results. Lucy's was perfect and she was able to cut her leaf without a problem. While Jiraiya was impressed by this, he was not surprised as he suspected that Lucy had inadvertently refined her chakra into wind chakra before. Laxus on the other hand was nowhere near Lucy, but he had still shown some remarkable progress. He could completely cut his leaf, but it still required effort. However, he figured that a lot of Laxus's progress was a result of Lucy, being able to actually see the flow of chakra with her Byakugan.

"I know where Tsunade was last spotted and we should go now. It will take about two days to get there" said Jiraiya. After just over a week of searching, they had actually managed to get a lead on Tsunade's whereabouts and the two young ninja were making rather good progress on their chakra nature manipulation. "The two of you can refine cutting your leafs while we walk and I'll show you the next exercise when we get to Tanzaku town."

* * *

"Wow! Triple 7's!" shouted Shizune. Tsunade, the Legendary Sucker had just come up with the best roll on the slot machines.

 _"How did I get Triple 7's? I've got a bad feeling about this_ " thought Tsunade.

"It's a miracle that you've actually won this time, why are you still mad?" asked Shizune, observing her master's frustration.

"Shizune, let's get out of here. I've got a bad feeling" said Tsunade.

"But this is a beautiful place, we should explore the castle more" begged Shizune.

"Then we'll take a quick look around and get out ASAP!" ordered Tsunade.

* * *

I know a bit about Tsunade, you see I was in the medic corps as well" explained Kabuto as he and his master walked up a flight of stairs through the forest.

"It's now become a standard procedure to include a medical specialist in each squad of 4. Prior to this, it was difficult for a group of shinobi to battle without any proper medical attention. You can't anticipate what will happen on the battle field, which is blindingly obvious" explained Kabuto.

"Hmm…that might be a good system for veteran fighters, but such a system would only increase the casualties of war…" hissed Orochimaru. "It's human nature that people won't realize the true value of something until they lose it. And whoever told the story of the medical specialist from the 3 Sanin, became the victims of that ninja."

* * *

"Ah, Tanzaka castle has such a fabulous view, even from the ground!" admired Shizune, looking up to the castle. "That's why it's called the treasure of arts!"

"Don't waste any more time, we've got to get out of here as soon as possible" said Tsunade, much to Shizune's displeasure. Suddenly, the castle fell to the ground in a heap of broken wood. Out of the smoke rose a giant snake with two figures on top of its head.

"Orochimaru…" said Tsunade in an angry tone.

"I've finally found you…" laughed Orochimaru.

Orochimaru and Kabuto were standing in a small courtyard facing Tsunade and Shizune. "It's been quite a while, Orochimaru" said Tsunade, not in the happiest of moods.

"I've been looking all over for you" responded the snake.

"What have you got with me now?" asked Tsunade. "You better not be here to reminisce about the old days."

"I have a favor to ask of you" said Orochimaru, trying to hide the twitching of his arm to no avail.

"Erratic heartbeat, his face looks pale and feverish, and then there is that arm" deduced the medical specialist.

"Lady Tsunade, I'm guessing you've already figured out" said Kabuto.

"Hey, you can go find someone else, I'm not a doctor anymore" she replied.

"Heh, we can't do that you see…this wound, no one else can cure it" said Kabuto. "But you, Lady Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sanin, and a medical specialist…you alone can cure it."

"That wound on your arm, it's no ordinary wound is it? What have you done to it?" asked Tsunade.

"Heh, just a little memento from when I killed the Third, our old sensei" laughed Orochimaru. Both Tsunade and Shizune stood in shock.

"You really are…" growled Tsunade, making her 'I'm going to kill you' face.

"Heh…don't make that scary face at me. Something with form is destined to crumble. The same goes for people too, you should know this since…you've lost two of your most beloved" taunted Orochimaru. "Ahh, those were certainly horrible ways to die."

Seeing her master's pain of her memories coming back, Shizune revealed a needle launcher on her forearm, pulling back the strings and unleashing half a dozen needles towards Orochimaru and his apprentice. Kabuto blocked them and caught one, realizing that the needles were poisoned.

"Calm down Shizune" ordered Tsunade. Then she got a calm look on her face, accompanies by a smile. "Orochimaru, you haven't changed a bit. You know how I am, don't kid around with me…I'll kill you!" Tsunade slammed her fist into the wall behind them, reducing it to rubble.

 _"Destructive, and fearsome"_ thought Kabuto. _"She's definitely single."_

"I'll say it once, get out of my sight before I kill you!" threatened Tsunade.

"Now please be reasonable. We can work out a deal" Kabuto said as Tsunade began her countdown. "Please calm down, it will be a good bargain."

Tsunade reached the end of her countdown and was ready to kill the two. "I can revive your dead brother and beloved with a forbidden seal I have developed" said Orochimaru with a dark and evil look on his face. Tsunade was frozen at this. "I see you haven't killed us yet, does this mean we have a deal?"

* * *

After a two day travel, the trio finally arrived at Tanzaku town. They figured the best place for someone to look was inside a gambling hall. Jiraiya began showing her picture around until he finally got a hit.

"I know that sis" said a man. "She was saying that she was going to get back her loss over there."

"There? Where's that?" asked Jiraiya.

The man Jiraiya was talking with threw two die into a cup. "We can't sell your info for free, you see?" said the man. "Let's gamble for it…if you win, I'll talk. If I win, you give me 10000ryo."

"Alright" said Jiraiya, accepting the man's wager.

"Pick, 'cho' or 'han'" demanded the man. Jiraiya chose 'cho'. The man began to unveil the die. The first die was a 2 and the second die was a 4, an even 6.

The three proceeded to the gambling hall where she was spotted. As Jiraiya was asking around, Laxus found a coin lying on the ground underneath a slot machine. "Hey, kid. Put the coin in that slot and just pull the lever" instructed a man sitting at a nearby machine. Laxus did as the man instructed, his curiosity taking over.

"Ding!" The alarm on top of the machine began to sound. Laxus had just hit the jackpot on that machine, triple red 7's.

"Help! I think I broke it!" shouted a freaking out Laxus as coins began to pour out of the machine. Half the hall's jaws dropped at Laxus's luck. Laxus frantically gathered up as many coins as he could.

"What the?..." thought Jiraiya, observing Laxus's frantic grabbing of coins. "Is this kid lucky or what?"

After all was said and done, Laxus was about 100,000 ryo richer. He pulled out his precious Gama wallet, which caught Lucy's eye. "He…he still has the frog wallet I got for him three years ago?" she asked herself, getting a happy feeling inside as Laxus was happily stuffing his little froggy. Unfortunately, the frog wasn't big enough and he was forced to let Jiraiya hold onto the remaining money.

 **"Hey Kit, remind me to bring you along with me the next time we Tailed Beasts end up having a poker night"** snickered Kurama. **"You're luckier than the Seven-tails!"**

 _"Huh? Poker?"_ replied Laxus.

 **"Yeah, every couple of decades, the nine of us try and get together and gamble a bit"**

 _"What exactly do you gamble?"_ asked Laxus.

 **"Our vessel's soul"** the Fox burst out in laughter as Laxus's face paled both inside and outside.

"L-Laxus? Is something wrong?" asked Lucy, catching the change in his face's complexion.

"Nothing…just never let me play poker with Fuzzball" said a fearful Laxus.

 **"Hey! Who are you calling Fuzzball!"**

* * *

"Don't you want to meet them again?" Orochimaru asked as pictures of her little brother and her lover appeared in Tsunade's mind.

"Hmph, if I cure your arms, what are you going to do?" asked Tsunade.

"I'd hate to lie to you, so I guess I'll let you in on the truth" said Orochimaru. "I'm getting what I want…I'll obliterate the Leaf!"

* * *

"Hey! So where is this castle?" asked Laxus, looking around. This was also something Jiraiya wanted to know.

"What happened here?" asked a curious Jiraiya. Suddenly, they saw a guy running down the path. Jiraiya called to the man. "Hey, you over there. What the hell happened here?!"

"You guys should run away! There is a demon beast over there!" shouted the man as he continued to run.

"Demon?" said Laxus. _"Do you feel anything demonic around?"_ Kurama just shook his head.

"What exactly do you mean by 'demon beast'?" asked Jiraiya, catching the man before he could get any farther.

"A-A huge snake toppled the building instantly!" shouted the man as he finally got free of Jiraiya.

"Hey, what kind of huge snake?" asked Laxus. "Back in my village I also encountered a snake beast!"

"Laxus, this is probably the same snake that you encountered before" explained Jiraiya as they ran off towards where the 'snake beast' was last.

* * *

"What?! Destroy the Leaf?!" said Shizune, becoming increasingly angry.

"Your answer is?" asked Kabuto. Shizune begged her to refuse. Tsunade thought on all the memories that she had of her brother and beloved.

"Lady Tsunade, you can't! Don't listen to the offer of these liars. Your brother and uncle wouldn't want you to do this either!" screamed Shizune. "Are the wishes of two people more…Lady Tsunade! Your dreams, your wishes, have you forgotten them?"

"Shut up, Shizune!" cried Tsunade.

"You don't have to answer now, however we will come up with a peaceful resolution" said Kabuto. "Also, this Jutsu requires two bodies as sacrifices."

"Lady Tsunade! Kill them now!" shouted Shizune. "Kill these bastards! Orochimaru is weak! If I fight, we can easily kill these bastards!"

Orochimaru bit into his finger, producing a drop of blood and causing Tsunade to shiver in fear. "Damn, he knows about THAT weakness!" swore Shizune to herself.

"I'm pretty weak right now, but I still know her weakness" explained Orochimaru. "You still haven't cured it completely…you're afraid of blood. We should get going Kabuto. Tsunade, we await for your consent; however, we would like an answer within a week."

* * *

The trio of Leaf ninja arrived on scene to see nothing but a collapsed castle and a busted wall. And Lucy had actually been looking forward to seeing the castle. They had been a little late and now they would have to search for her again. Thankfully, they had a trail.

As the three went into town to grab dinner, Jiraiya heard something that he had been hoping to hear. "More Beer!" ordered Tsunade, who was at a table inside the restaurant which they had just walked into.

"Hey! Tsunade!" shouted Jiraiya.

"Jiraiya?!" she responded. "Why are you here? In a place like this?"

"We've finally found you!" exclaimed Jiraiya.

 _"This is the woman? Is she really 50?"_ thought a dumbfounded Laxus. Even Lucy was having trouble processing the true age of the young woman sitting in front of them. The three of them joined Tsunade and her student, Shizune, at the table. As the time passed, Jiraiya noticed something was wrong with Tsunade and he asked.

"Today, I met with someone who brings back memories" said Tsunade.

"Orochimaru? What did he want?" asked Jiraiya. Tsunade shot Shizune a glare not to say anything.

"Nothing much, just a little greeting…" replied Tsunade. "You too, why did you come to find me?"

"Well, to tell you the truth, the village has requested for you to become the Fifth Hokage" said Jiraiya. Laxus nearly choked on his food upon hearing this. Tsunade and Shizune listened on in shock. This was not what they had expected to hear at all.

Laxus spent the next few seconds coughing. "The Fifth Hokage? What the hell, all the sudden?" he thought.

"The Third is…" said a solemn Jiraiya.

"So it's true. Orochimaru's work…" said Tsunade. "I heard, he told me."

"Orochimaru!" thought a startled Laxus. "The big snake guy?! He's the one who killed the old man?! Who the hell is this bastard?!"

"He was one of the Sanin, with us" explained Jiraiya.

"What the hell? He was from the Leaf?" said a shocked Laxus. "Then why?"

"Jiraiya, who is this boy?" asked Tsunade.

"Laxus Dreyer" responded Jiraiya. Tsunade was in shock by that name. She knew who Laxus was and she was surprised to see him there. "And this is Lucy Hyuga, she's Hiashi's daughter."

"Hey Pervy Sage, how come she gets to become Hokage?!" shouted Laxus. Jiraiya did his best to get Laxus down as Lucy kind of retreated to the background of everything, not wanting to be caught in the center of attention.

Tsunade a bit on her past and what Orochimaru had offered her. "Impossible, I decline!" she declared. This startled everyone. Then Jiraiya let out a slight laugh. "I remember in the past, you said 'I decline' when I asked you out."

"Huh?! What's going on?" asked Laxus. "You just wanted her to come back to the village so that she could check on Freed and Kakashi-sensei, right? Yet you asked her to be the Hokage?! And she declined!"

"Lady Tsunade" thought a worried Shizune. "Is she hesitating because of Orochimaru?"

"Don't worry so much Laxus, Tsunade here is the only person who can become the Fifth Hokage" stated Jiraiya, after taking another sip of sake from his cup. "She was the one who brought us victories in our battles…no one can master her techniques. Also, Tsunade is the granddaughter of the First Hokage, so she is the most appropriate one for the position. Besides, if she goes back to the village, she will be able to check up on those two…This was a decision made by the top members of The Leaf, you have absolutely no say in it."

"Jiraiya, this kid seems worse than your previous apprentice in terms of looks, speech, and intelligence…" said Tsunade, slightly insulting Laxus.

"Well, it's tough for anyone to be compared to the Fourth" explained Jiraiya. "Because he really had the talent to become a top rate ninja. He was smart and reliable and handsome, like me too."

"But even the Fourth Hokage died quickly" said Tsunade, quieting the mood at the table. "He gave up his life for the village…Life is different from money, it can't be risked that easily…whoever puts it at risk so easily is a fool!"

Laxus was about ready to jump out of his seat and beat Tsunade to a pulp. "My grandfather and the Second both focused too much on bringing peace to the village, more than anything else" explained Tsunade. "But as a result, they died in the middle of their dreams, like losers!"

"You've changed a lot Tsunade. I don't know what you've been thinking recently, but you've just said all that is on your mind" said Jiraiya.

"Well, I'm already in my 50's, age changes people" said Tsunade. "It's the same for Sarutobi. No wonder he died, he was too old to live for his dreams….Being Hokage is shit…only a fool would do it!"

That was the last straw for Laxus as he leapt out of his seat, ready to plant his fist into Tsunade's 20-some looking face. However, he was held back by Jiraiya before he could reach her. "Hey! Let go of me!" shouted Laxus.

"Don't you realize we are in a bar? Cool it down!" ordered Jiraiya. All around, people were staring at them, wondering what was going on. Finally, he just stood before Tsunade and talked. "I won't forgive anyone who says bad things about our Hokage and the Fourth! I don't care if she's a woman, I'm going to kick her ass!" The fire and rage was building back up again.

Tsunade stood up and looked him in the eyes. "You've got some guts to say something like that, brat. Let's take this outside!" challenged Tsunade. Shizune had done everything she could to diffuse the situation, but failed miserably. As for Lucy, poor Lucy, this was not what she was expecting when she met another of the Legendary Sanin.

The four of them went outside and Laxus faced Tsunade. "Hmm, I'm one of the Legendary Sanin. I don't even need to take this boy seriously." Tsunade thought. Then she held up one finger. "This is all I will need, one finger should be enough!"

This enraged Laxus who charged at her with his Kunai. Using that one finger, she managed to disarm him, knock his headband off, and send him back flying."Damn it, she did all that with one finger?" he thought.

"Yeah…that was embarrassing" replied Kurama. "Looks like you need help."

"Stay out of this! I'm gonna teach her a thing or two myself!" demanded Laxus.

"Hey kid, I'll ask you one thing before you pass out…" said Tsunade. "Why…when you hear the word Hokage, do you get so excited?"

"Hmph…unlike you, I respected the Hokage and I will be stronger than any other previous Hokage…and I will, because it's my dream to!" declared Laxus. Tsunade was haunted by the ghosts of her past at that moment, giving Laxus a small opening.

Laxus charged at Tsunade. Over the past few days, he had also been working on his Rasengan and had gotten it to the point where he could do it with one hand. Laxus formed said Rasengan in his hand, ready to show Tsunade what happens when she insults the name Hokage. Tsunade saw this at the last minute and created a fracture in the ground with her finger to stop Laxus. His Rasengan went slamming into the ground, creating a nice crater.

"Jiraiya! Why the hell did you teach him the Rasengan?!" shouted Tsunade.

"I taught it to him because he's my student and I felt he could master it, which he did" explained Jiraiya.

"It would have been better if you didn't. That way, silly kids won't joke about foolish dreams about 'becoming Stronger than the Hokage.'" said a harsh Tsunade.

"No, you're wrong! Laxus can become Stronger than the Hokage someday!" Those words burst out of Lucy's mouth as Kurama's jaw practically dropped at the quiet girl's outburst. He had never heard her be so firm and confident on something. Tsunade shot her a death glare, but surprisingly Lucy didn't budge for once.

"Hmph, whatever." said Tsunade brushing off Laxus. Laxus was enraged but Jiraiya put his hand on his student's shoulder.

"This isn't the Tsunade I used to know. Let me talk to her and see if I can get to her" said Jiraiya. Laxus had no choice but to have faith in his teacher.

"Tsunade, why don't we get a drink together? It's been awhile" said Jiraiya. If it wasn't for the fact that it had been awhile, Tsunade would have thought Jiraiya was asking her out and probably done worse to him than she had done with Laxus. "Shizune, you, Lucy, and Laxus go find a hotel."

 _"Master Jiraiya, it's up to you now"_ thought Shizune as she took the two genin to go find that hotel.

* * *

The bar tender handed the two Sanin their drinks and apologized for the delay. "You've become even more beautiful" complimented Jiraiya.

Tsunade blushed slightly. "You haven't changed a bit. It's only you that I don't date" said Tsunade.

"It's not like I'm interested…" said Jiraiya. "Besides, she's a 50 year old lady."

"What?!" shouted Tsunade.

"Nothing…" said Jiraiya, hoping he didn't get punched. The two of them had a little laugh over that. Suddenly, Jiraiya got slightly more serious. "Are you worried?"

"About what?" asked Tsunade.

"Laxus is a lot like HIM, isn't he?" said Jiraiya, obviously striking a chord with Tsunade. "Are you afraid that the past will repeat itself?"

"Just shut up" demanded Tsunade in a harsh tone. "I just don't want any more trouble caused because of me."

"Going up to meet with Orochimaru, eh? That sounds like a lot of trouble" said Jiraiya, reading Tsunade like a book. "I could tell by Shizune's countenance…I don't know what sort of deal he offered, but I just want to make one thing clear…The past Hokages protected those who lived in the village. They reigned in troublesome times, yet the village still managed to prosper. They bet their lives on that dream…you should understand too." Suddenly, Jiraiya's tone got much darker and colder. "But, if you do anything to betray the Leaf, I will kill you!"

"That has nothing to do with me" said Tsunade, shooting Jiraiya a glare.

"Only a murderer would show no feelings knowing people close to them are dead…" responded Jiraiya. Tsunade was silent. "You're not like that, right? You do care for the safety of the people in the village, because that time…"

"Stop lecturing me already!" yelled Tsunade. "Why did you bring those brats along?"

 _"They're even the same age. Their enthusiasm, was the same"_ thought Tsunade.

* * *

Inside their hotel room, Laxus heard a knock on the door and Shizune stepped inside. "I'm sorry for coming so late, Laxus. But there is something I want to talk to you about."

"What are you doing here so late?" asked Laxus. "I need to sleep well so I can train all day tomorrow."

"I'm sorry, but I don't want you to misunderstand Lady Tsunade" replied Shizune.

"Feh…I don't care about that old lady!" said Laxus, brushing Shizune's comments aside.

"Lady Tsunade is nothing like what you think of her!" Shizune said, becoming defensive. "Please don't talk about her as if you know her." This got Laxus's attention. "Before she wasn't like this. She used to have a caring heart and she loved the village. But she changed…all because of that day."

"Huh? That day? What happened on 'that' day?" asked Laxus.

"Dreams, love, and hope…all were lost on that day" said Shizune ominously. "After that, she became lost and she…left."

Shizune explained to Laxus that Tsunade had given that necklace to two people before him, her little brother Nawaki and her lover, Dan Kato. Both of whom met gruesome deaths in the Second Shinobi World War. "Please understand Laxus. From that day, Tsunade has been struggling. Just give your master some time; I'm sure he'll come through."

"Laxus…Please let Master Jiraiya take care of her" asked Lucy, not wanting to see Laxus upset anymore. "You're always asking people to believe in you. Have faith in Master Jiraiya."

Laxus hesitated for a moment. "Yeah, I guess we could let the old pervert handle that lady. Besides, we've got more important stuff to worry about, like the next exercise in our wind training." Laxus smiled at Lucy, until he felt his stomach complain. "Awe man, I didn't have enough time to eat back at the bar. I'm going to find something to eat, you want to come Lucy?"

"N-Laxus wants to get something to…to eat? With me?" Lucy thought as she turned red. It took a good half hour for them to find some place that wasn't either closed or would let two kids in late at night. They had passed a ramen bar, but unfortunately for Laxus, it was closed. What kind of ramen bar isn't open at 10:00pm? Before walking into a local tea shop, Lucy had been red the entire time the two of them were walking through the village. It was then that Lucy's sweet tooth kicked in when she noticed that the shop sold a vast array of backed goods and sweets.

"Hey Lucy, what you said back there, about me becoming Hokage, did you mean it?" asked Laxus.

At the same time, Lucy was busy stuffing herself with some dango and had to clear her throat quickly, nearly choking. "Yes I did. I think you'll become a great Hokage someday" she said without stuttering at all.

Laxus managed a slight smile after all the events of the day. "Thank you, Lucy" he said as the young Hyuga blushed again.

Early the next morning, Jiraiya took Laxus and Lucy out to a clearing just outside the town, with a river flowing and a waterfall nearby. "Hey Pervy Sage, so what's next?" asked Laxus.

* * *

 **Happy Easter kinda sorry I'm late hope you all had fun and sorry but from now on will update every two weeks.**


	27. The Three Sages face off

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or fairy tail and the first person to comment will be dedicated.**

* * *

It was the third night that Laxus and Lucy began their training. Lucy had called it a night, but Laxus was determined to progress further in his wind manipulation training. Jiraiya said that it would take him years, yet he wasn't going to let that happen while Freed continued to make stronger lightning and fire Jutsu. The past few days had yielded little progress and despite it being that late, he would push through until he had this exercise down.

"Hey brat, let me ask you something" said Tsunade, who had been observing him for the past few hours.

"Oh, it's you granny" said Laxus. A vein bulged out of Tsunade's head, obviously irritated at Laxus's comment. "What do you want?" he said coldly.

"Why do you do this to yourself. I'm a doctor and I can tell you're already on the verge of exhaustion" said Tsunade. "In a world like this, why do you keep doing what you're doing? It's pointless, unless you want to die."

"Because, unlike you, I actually care about the Leaf. I wouldn't even think about betraying it to some snake-freak" said Laxus. "And if you're wondering why I'm training, it's because I need to become stronger to protect my friends from danger. I don't know about you, but I'll never give up."

Yep, he was definitely the ghosts of her past coming back to haunt her in physical form.

* * *

It was the morning of the sixth day from the time that Tsunade and Orochimaru met and the two genin were making some progress on the waterfall. For it only being just over two weeks, you could say that they had actually made a lot of progress. The two who were once considered failures had gotten this far in chakra nature manipulation training in just a few weeks, although they had been using shadow clones so the true amount of experience actually totaled about a month for Lucy, and almost a year for Laxus. Laxus couldn't believe he never noticed this ability of the shadow clones before. This was just what he needed to eventually be able to work on those super cool Justus that he had been having dreams about.

"L-Laxus, I don't have much more i-in me for today" said Lucy, on her knees and panting. She had to dispel one of her clones for a small boost of chakra. It was only late morning, but she had never fully recovered from the day before.

"Come on, you can do this. Just one more try Lucy" said Laxus as his stomach growled. He just smiled. "And then we'll go get lunch." Lucy smiled at the blonde's enthusiasm.

"A-alright. Let's just take this one slow though" she said. "It's no use if we just rush right through it."

Laxus had to agree with her on this. He made another clone to take the place of the clone that Lucy had to dispel. The 5 Laxus and 2 Lucys took a few minutes to gather their chakra and released it on the waterfall. This time, progress was definitely visible as they both noticed gaps in the waterfall where they were channeling chakra. They had begun to learn how to release their chakra to cut the waterfall, now it was only a matter of time before they were able to cut it themselves.

* * *

Tonight was the night before when Tsunade was expected to give Orochimaru his answer. Over the past week, thoughts had been echoing throughout her head. Thoughts about the possibility of seeing her loved ones again. Thoughts about helping Orochimaru. Thoughts about coming back to the village. Thoughts about Laxus. There had to have been another reason Jiraiya brought him along other than for training. He resembled THEM, her late younger brother and her lover, from the days when she still believed. Jiraiya had to have brought him along on purpose. Speaking of Jiraiya, he wanted to meet up again tonight to grab a quick drink.

"Glad you could join me tonight, Tsunade" said Jiraiya flatteringly.

Tsunade remained silent but acknowledged him none the less, thoughts still swirling in her mind.

The two had a nice drink, but Jiraiya didn't notice that Tsunade had slipped something into his drink. After a few hours, Jiraiya got up and left the bar. "No matter what happens tomorrow, there's no way you will just be able to simply return to those days" he said to her as he left. Jiraiya knew. He must have weaseled it out of Shizune somehow.

* * *

Tsunade took one last look at the sleeping Laxus. He was exhausted and so was Lucy from the training. Lucy was now finally getting the chance to rest her tired chakra coils. This training would help them grow, but that still didn't excuse the fact that she was rather low on chakra at the present moment. Laxus had put in some more extra training after Lucy had called it a day, cramming as many clones as he could fit on the log and creating even more to practice on the leaf exercise. He was determined to get the waterfall exercise the next day.

Shizune was becoming increasingly irritated at her master. "Tomorrow…Please don't go!" she shouted. However, Tsunade was silent. "Why won't you say anything? Please answer my request Lady Tsunade! If you say you're going…"

"What will you do?" asked Tsunade. This caused Shizune to pause for a little and think.

"I will stop you, no matter the cost!" declared Shizune.

"Shizune! Think who you are talking to!" said Tsunade with a flare of rage in he eyes. She walked up to Shizune and gave her a good solid punch in the stomach, knocking her unconscious. Tsunade left the room, her decision has been made.

* * *

"Hey!" shouted Laxus to Shizune, who was slowly waking up after being unconscious for a few hours.

"Laxus?" She thought about what her master had said about Laxus not waking up for at least another two days. Finally, she snapped back to consciousness. "Oh no! Today, what day is it?!" Shizune began panicking.

"It's Monday, why?" said Laxus. Shizune was both relieved and surprised. She was relieved by the fact that today was the day of the exchange and that there still might be time to stop her master. At the same time, she was surprised that Laxus was still standing, good as new and fully energized. "Huh? What is it?" he asked.

"Laxus! Stay in the house!" she shouted as she darted out the window, only to see Jiraiya crawling back towards the window. He was not feeling good.

"Wait Shizune…" said Jiraiya, trying to do his best to stay up. "Damn that Tsunade…she put drugs in my drink last night. I can't even release chakra and my whole body stings. I can barely hold my chopsticks."

Jiraiya had made out of the bar last night, but the drugs kicked in and he fell asleep, waking up in some dark ally, head first in a trash can.

"Like I said, humans are just sad, sad beings" said Kurama. Laxus wanted to argue, but the Pervy Sage was not helping his argument.

"Uhg…in her fallen state, she's still a medical specialist. She's about the only one who can create a tasteless, odorless drug and use it against ninja" explained a weak Jiraiya. "But, even though I was drunk…to get me like that…Shizune, what you guys talked to Orochimaru about, it's about time you tell us."

Shizune began panicking again and told them to come with her. She explained what Orochimaru had offered Tsunade on the way there.

"Damn it…the answer has to be NO!" said Jiraiya as they rushed to stop Tsunade. "She's still unable to let those two go and move on…based on the situation, I may actually have to kill her!"

"Umm…Master Jiraiya, what is the problem, why are we in a hurry?" asked Lucy. Laxus also wanted to know the answer as to what that granny was up to. Jiraiya explained that she was asked to heal Orochimaru's arms, restoring his power, and that today was the day of the decision. He had managed to get Shizune to talk one night after taking Tsunade's apprentice out to the bar a few nights ago.

* * *

Tsunade was standing in the same ally facing Orochimaru. "So the answer is?" asked the snake Sanin.

Tsunade looked down, in deep thought. "I will heal your arms, in exchange you keep your hands off The Leaf" said Tsunade.

"Heh, alright" laughed Orochimaru. He lifted his wounded arms towards Tsunade and she generated a green energy between her hands. However, a kunai forced them to jump apart. Orochimaru and Tsunade looked up to see that Kabuto had been the one to intervene.

"What is this…to come this far and betray me?" asked Orochimaru. "…Tsunade." Kabuto's attack had sent a clear message to Orochimaru, that the energy that she generated was not meant to heal him, but to kill him. "How could you come to an answer like this, Princess Tsunade, and try to kill me?!"

Tsunade stared down her former teammate with a look of killing intent. However, Orochimaru was left unfazed from this. He looked at Tsunade with his typical evil and sadistic look. "I trust you, Kabuto, from the bottom of my heart. Your loyalty and ability to see Tsunade's intended attack."

"Yes, we are both from the medical corps, so it wasn't too difficult to see that her chakra was full of intent to kill" explained Kabuto.

"Tsunade…I honestly intended to revive those two and I even agreed to spare the Leaf" said Orochimaru.

"Orochimaru…I knew that you keeping your hands off the Leaf was a lie. I knew that but…I…Those two people…Even just one more time, I wanted to see them. Even for just one more time, I wanted to touch them, to see their smiling faces" explained Tsunade as she started to tear up. "I'll really be able to see Dan and Nawaki again…the moment I felt that on my skin…I felt like a fool. Those two's…faces, from just remembering them…for me to become this blind…I loved them…Because I truly loved them, I wanted to see them and hug them. But I couldn't…Because of that brat, their dream that I had tried to forget has been reborn. The dream that those two bet their lives on…Having those dreams was also my wish. All things that have shape eventually crumble…you've said that. However, only this feeling will not decay." By this point, two waterfalls were running down Tsunade's face, one originating from each eye.

"So the deal is off…then we will be forced to do it" said Orochimaru as Tsunade snapped back to the current situation. With rage taking over her emotions, Tsunade leapt at Orochimaru and Kabuto. As she slammed her foot into the ground, it crumbled away, leaving a large crater in the place where the two traitors once stood. Kabuto and Orochimaru had just barely dodged that attack. "Hmm, now that I think about it, I've never fought against you before" said Orochimaru as Tsunade charged towards them.

"You bastards! I'll kill all of you now!" shouted Tsunade. Kabuto and Orochimaru just barely dodged her attack. They knew that if Tsunade could land one blow on them, it could be enough to kill them.

"Lord Orochimaru, this place is a bit too crowded for this type of fight" said Kabuto. "I think it is wise if we were to move elsewhere. Also, I noticed there is something up with Tsunade's servant. It is only a matter of time before he comes and joins the battle."

"He? Who is he?" asked Orochimaru, curiously.

"He's one of you, the Legendary Sanin. Jiraiya!" said Kabuto as the two of them retreated with Tsunade in close pursuit. Orochimaru was getting a little laugh out of this. This would be a fun reunion, despite Kabuto fearing for his life at the thought of two Sanin.

* * *

Shortly after, Jiraiya, Shizune, Laxus, and Lucy arrived on scene and noticed the carnage. This relieved everyone as they realized that Tsunade must have decided not to go through with the exchange and was instead trying to kill Orochimaru. They weren't sure of which way they went, but thanks to Lucy's Byakugan, they were easily able to pick up on the trail of craters in the ground and smashed things, obviously Tsunade's doing.

Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Kabuto came to a halt. Their battle was ready to begin. Running low on energy from running for his life, Kabuto popped a soldier pill into his mouth to replenish his chakra. He made a few hand seals and activated his chakra scalpels. He disappeared underground and reappeared just beneath Tsunade, hoping to tag her with his scalpels. If the scalpels hit, they would deal internal damage, almost like the Hyuga's gentle fist. Tsunade dodged the first attack, but Kabuto quickly rebounded and attacked again, tagging her right arm and thigh, cutting the muscles in them.

Tsunade examined her injuries, quickly realizing that Kabuto had cut her muscles and she realized that he was trained in the medical arts as well. "I've cut your biceps and abdomen muscles. You won't be able to use your strength now" claimed Kabuto.

"Hmm…chakra scalpel. So why didn't you aim for my arteries?" asked Tsunade.

"Certainly with this chakra scalpel, I could have severed all your muscles and blood vessels, but maintaining the accuracy and power required for that in combat is extremely difficult" explained Kabuto. "Well, since I'm aiming for your neck, it shouldn't be a problem now."

Kabuto charged at Tsunade and hit her neck, just above the collar bone. He managed to cut her intercostal, the muscles surrounding her respiratory area, making it difficult for her to breathe. Kabuto dropped his guard, thinking that he had Tsunade in a position where he didn't have to worry. However, Tsunade chopped the back of his neck, sending an electrical current through his body. Tsunade wasn't an ordinary medical ninja and Kabuto was beginning to realize that. Tsunade stood up and began to heal herself while Kabuto quickly realized that Tsunade had messed up the electrical signals in his body with that last blow. When he tried to move his right leg, his left thumb would move. "What is this? It's not my muscles, but my nerves?" asked a startled Kabuto.

"Hmm, seems like you've realized…yes it is your nerves. I changed my chakra into electricity, and sent the electric waves into your nervous system" explained Tsunade. Kabuto was quickly realizing that this was going to be a difficult battle. Much to Tsunade's surprise, Kabuto was able to regain control of his nervous system rather quickly and he charged at her with a kunai ready. However, before he could get in range, Jiraiya, Laxus, Shizune, and Lucy appeared before him in a puff of smoke.

"Long time no see…Jiraiya" hissed Orochimaru.

"Those wild eyes of yours. You haven't changed a bit, Orochimaru" said Jiraiya.

"What?! What is Kabuto doing here?" shouted Laxus, seeing Kabuto before them.

"Hello, Laxus" said Kabuto. Jiraiya realized that the two of them recognized each other.

Wanting to kill Kabuto, Tsunade barged through them and ran towards Kabuto. Before she could land her blow, blood went flying onto her and she froze in fear. Kabuto had cut himself to use Tsunade's own fear to immobilize her. As she stood in front of him, he just continued to spill blood from his wrist onto her. Seeing his opening, Kabuto punched Tsunade, sending her back towards Laxus and Jiraiya.

"What's going on? Why is Kabuto fighting Tsunade?!" asked a surprised Laxus.

"Laxus, look at his headband. He is Orochimaru's subordinate" explained Jiraiya.

"Hmph, that's right, I'm a spy for the sound village" admitted Kabuto. "And based on the data on you I collected from the chunin exams, unlike Freed, you have no talent as a shinobi!" This got Laxus's blood boiling.

Shizune ran over to her master and began to wipe the blood off of her, hoping to stop the shaking and cowering.

Laxus sent a glare towards Kabuto. "Heh, even if you do make a scary face like that, you are nothing more than an out-of-place genin. You have been relying on that thing inside of you, but with the three Sanin here, you are nothing. You are like a small bug…if you try something, I will kill you!" stated Kabuto.

 **"Hey Kit, you want me to teach this insolent brat a lesson?"** asked Kurama, slightly insulted by Kabuto's comments.

 _"Sorry, but I want to smack this bastard around myself!"_ said Laxus, refusing Kurama's help. _"Besides, he doesn't know of us and I don't want Orochimaru thinking that what happened in the forest was something more than a mistake."_

Laxus charged at Kabuto, making a few shadow clones in the process. Jiraiya tried to stop him, but the drug was still having an effect on his system. However, thankfully Kabuto's right arm was in no shape to fight with because of that wound. Laxus had all four clones attack at once, but he was blinded when Kabuto splashed some blood at him. Laxus flew back, but Shizune managed to catch him, spitting some of her poisoned needles at him in the process. Kabuto barely had time to react and blocked them with his headband. Kabuto popped a blood-stopping pill, showing Shizune that he was a medical ninja too as he returned to Orochimaru's side.

"Shizune, handle four-eyes. I'll take care of Orochimaru" said Jiraiya. "But before that, I would like to ask you something about my body…"

"I'm sorry, but the effects will last for a few more hours" explained Shizune. "There is nothing I can do about it."

"Tsunade, just worry about healing yourself" said Jiraiya.

"Hey! What about me?!" shouted Laxus.

"You and Lucy protect Tsunade" ordered Jiraiya. Laxus didn't object, even though wanting to get in on the action, but a battle with all three Sanin involved was a fight Laxus did not necessarily want Lucy to get in the middle of.

Simultaneously, Jiraiya and Kabuto, acting for Orochimaru, went through the motions for their summoning Jutsu. After the smoke cleared, Orochimaru and Kabuto each stood atop a giant snake. Jiraiya, well…

"Sup" said Gamakichi, appearing as Jiraiya's summons.

"What?!" shouted Jiraiya while hearing Laxus laugh.

"Jiraiya is still affected by the drug. He can't control chakra well" thought Shizune.

"Haha, your stupidity still hasn't been cured. I'll attack first!" declared Orochimaru. "I don't think there exists anyone with as little talent as you, Jiraiya. It looks like Tsunade's been hurt by something."

"Lord Orochimaru. That technique requires a sacrifice. What if Tsunade was thinking ahead and gave him a drug to prepare him as a sacrifice" examined Kabuto. Orochimaru got a laugh out of that.

Laxus, biting his finger and going through the hand seals for the summoning Jutsu. "Summoning Jutsu!"

"Ehh? The Nine tails boy from the exam. Maybe I should have stuck around to kill him after all" said Orochimaru to Kabuto. "Hmm, I've never dealt with a power like that of the Nine tails."

"Poof" Laxus's summoning went through and he was facing Gamatatsu, Gamakichi's younger brother. Gamatatsu was a small yellow toad, about the same size as Gamakichi.

"And it looks like I won't have to…since he doesn't have any talent as a ninja" laughed Orochimaru.

 **"…Really? Is that the best you can seriously do?"** questioned Kurama. Laxus didn't say anything only confirming Kurama's comment.

"Oh, Gamatatsu? What are you doing here?" asked Gamakichi.

"Oh, big brother. This is my first time being summoned, but I'll try my hardest" said Gamatatsu.

"Idiot! You'll just end up a snack if you don't run and hide!" said Gamakichi.

In their confusion, the snakes launched themselves at the group of Leaf ninja. Their attack was barely dodged and Kabuto had moved towards Tsunade and Shizune.

As Jiraiya turned to see Orochimaru, he made a few hand seals. "Earth style: Swamp of the Underworld!" Below then snake, a pit of deep mud formed and the snake began to sink. However, because of Jiraiya's ailment, the swamp was not powerful enough to completely sink the snake.

Shizune launched a few needles at Kabuto, who dodged them with ease. He activated his chakra scalpel, but Shizune unleashed poison gas from her mouth. When the cloud cleared, Kabuto was nowhere to be seen. By surprise, Kabuto emerged from the ground and tagged Shizune in the ankles, severing her Achilles tendons.

Laxus and Lucy were busy recovering from the snakes attack. They had managed to avoid the worst, but it still didn't mean that they had completely avoided the attack. Making his way to Tsunade, Kabuto threw Shizune aside as a drop of blood landed on Tsunade, causing her to shutter some more. She looked around to see Shizune lying on the ground in pain and Laxus and Lucy struggling to get up after their near collision with the tail of that snake. This was looking like it was going to be Nawaki and Dan all over again.

Orochimaru charged at Jiraiya, extending his neck out to bite Jiraiya. "Ninja art: Underworld Spines!" Jiraiya's hair wrapped around him, covering him in a blanket of spikes. Orochimaru's head bit Jiraiya in the front of the neck, but his leg had also hit the spines as he impaled himself.

"Haha, there's that insanity of my old village" said Orochimaru. "You've become a companion of those kid and for the sake of the village; you've degraded yourself to chauffer? My talent of seeing through people is unsurpassed and those two are nothing but failures!"

Jiraiya smiled. "That's for sure. I wouldn't need a kid like Freed. A boy being raised as a natural prodigy from the beginning is no fun."

"So you're looking for someone like yourself?" asked Orochimaru. "I can't beat the Sharingan user who is heir to the Uchiha clan. Why bother with someone like Laxus who hasn't got something like that? A ninja talent that allows them to master every technique in the world…That is what his ninja heritage entails. He only needs to encounter the techniques."

"Hmph, that's not what ninja talent entails. You still don't understand what it takes for a shinobi to be called a ninja" smirked Jiraiya. "I'll teach you one thing…the most important ninja talent is not the number of techniques one acquires. The most important thing is a spirit which never gives up!"

Kabuto threw a punch at Tsunade, which given her condition, would have ended it for her. "Protection of the Eight Trigrams" called out Lucy as she activated her defense and repelled Kabuto's attack. As that defense of hers already had some wind chakra mixed into it, it began to shred Kabuto's hand until he finally backed off. Because of his quick reflexes, he was able to avoid the worst, but there were some pretty deep cuts in his hand and it was bleeding almost as much as the self-inflicted cut he made. However, he was a medic by trade and wounds like this were easy to heal. He would have been able to heal himself is it wasn't for what was behind him.

"Rasengan!" shouted Laxus, lunging at Kabuto. Unlike Neji, Kabuto had the training and reflexes to dodge this one. Laxus regained himself and found himself next to Lucy, standing between Kabuto and Tsunade.

"Step aside. The two of you should just run. If you die here, your dreams will die as well" taunted Kabuto, sounding a lot like Neji from the prelims. "But, if you have a dream, then you cannot run away…so you're left with only one option…die!"

"I'm not dead yet! And you won't lay your fingers on Grandma Tsunade!" declared Laxus. Lucy's resolve strengthened as well as the two of them prepared to fight Orochimaru's lackey.

"Both of you should just go" said Tsunade, not wanting to see anyone else die. She had to admit that Laxus was a lot like Nawaki and that day was one day she did not want to relive. "If you die, then it will all be for naught."

"Like I said before granny, I'm not giving up. I will protect those important to me and if you're so important to Pervy Sage, then I'll protect you as well. After all, I'm not going to die until I become Hokage" declared Laxus.

"I won't back down either. Like Laxus, I won't give up. That's my nindo!" declared Lucy. Laxus smiled a little at this.

"Fine…then die!" shouted Kabuto as he ran forward.

"Protection of the Eight Trigrams!"

"Rasengan!"

Lucy used her defense to stop Kabuto just as Laxus ran forwards with his Rasengan. Lucy's hit first, stunning Kabuto long enough for Laxus to land his attack. Before Kabuto went flying back he was able to clutch Laxus chest and went slamming into a rock 20 m away. However, Kabuto stood on his feet, shocking everyone.

"You…You took that attack…How can you still be standing?" said a shocked Tsunade.

"Heh, I collected chakra in my abdomen before impact and started healing right away. I'm the one who saved Orochimaru. It's useless to use that attack against me…my resilience is overwhelming" smiled Kabuto. He took a step forward but collapsed to the ground. The damage done had been more than he could heal. Their combined attack was effective. Then suddenly Laxus collapsed shocking both all of them.

Both Lucy and Tsunade still trembling from the blood from earlier rush to his side. Tsunade immediately checks Laxus. _"his heart is beating erratically."_ Tsunade thought as she checked him.

"The area around his heart has been torn to shreds" Lucy said crying while using her Byakugan to survey the damage.

 _"she would be a good medical ninja."_ Tsunade thought as she began using Healing Jutsu. As Kurama began using his chakra to accelerate Laxus healing. Soon enough Tsunade with the help of Kurama had healed the damage enough for Laxus to start regaining conscious.

Orochimaru had disengaged with Jiraiya and had shot towards Laxus with his Sword of Kusangai. He knew now that brat could not be allowed to live as he would become a major problem in the future, especially with Akatsuki planning on making its move soon. By the time Lucy realized Orochimaru, it was too late as her 360o vision was limited to only about 50m. Orochimaru was traveling too fast and he was locked onto Laxus.

Blood splattered all over the ground as the sword ripped through flesh; however, this was not Laxus's flesh. Tsunade had jumped in the way, seeing this coming before Lucy had. She took the blow through her chest, just to the left of her heart as Laxus and Lucy looked on in horror.

Jiraiya was nearby, trying to pull himself out of a crater that he had made when Orochimaru slammed him in the ground just before stabbing Tsunade.

"Tsunade…I wasn't trying to kill you" said Orochimaru. "Don't get in my way…if that brat survives, he'll cause a great deal of problems later on."

"No…I'll protect him, no matter what! I won't let it happen again!" said a defiant Tsunade.

"Grandma…" was all Laxus could get out. Tsunade had done a complete 180 from before.

"I've always been a horrible gambler, but there is something about this kid that is urging me to place my bets on him. For once, I'm sure I won't lose" declare Tsunade. "These kids are the future of The Leaf, something you'll never understand."

"Fufu. What are you babbling about?" laughed Orochimaru. "Besides, being Hokage is worthless…only a fool would want it. If that's really what you want, then die like all the fools in the Leaf!"

Orochimaru removed the sword from Tsunade's chest and slashed her from the shoulder to just below the rib cage on the opposite side of her body. "Tsunade" cried Lucy and Shizune.

"You worthless trash, now die so that I can finish off the rest of you fools!" shouted Orochimaru as he took one more swing at her.

"No, I'll bet my life on these kids!" said a smiling Tsunade, giving Orochimaru a defiantly strong uppercut in the process.

 _"What? Her trembling stopped?"_ thought the snake Sanin. Indeed, Tsunade had gotten over her case of hemophobia. Orochimaru looked up to see markings covering her face, emanating from the diamond on her forehead.

"Why am I doing this?" said Tsunade. "Because as of now, I am the Fifth Hokage of The village hidden in the Leaves!"

" Lady Tsunade overcame her hemophobia!" thought a happy Shizune. That happiness didn't last long as she saw the seal on Tsunade's forehead. "Wait, Lady Tsunade! Don't break the seal I'll heal your wounds!"

"Grandma Tsunade?" said a confused, yet now impressed Laxus. Perhaps she was Hokage material now.

It was too late. "Yin Seal, release!" shouted Tsunade as she flooded her system with a massive amount of chakra that she had been storing up. "Ninja art: Genesis Rebirth!" as she activated her Jutsu, the wounds on her body began to close.

"Heh, seems like I'm not the only one developing new Jutsu" said Orochimaru. "Care sharing what that is?"

"I've been gathering chakra into the seal on my forehead for quite some time now. I used that chakra to stimulate the production of various enzymes and increase cell regeneration and rapid reformation" explained Tsunade. "I can reconstruct any damaged parts and organs in my body…It's not just simple healing, its regeneration!"

 _"Yes, but the number of times cells can divide is limited, meaning that using that technique shortens her own lifespan"_ thought Shizune.

"You two, I'll take it from here." Tsunade took some blood from her closing wounds and rubbed it on her arm. Orochimaru knew what was coming and jumped back to Kabuto's side who began performing the summoning Jutsu. Jiraiya was already proceeding to do the same thing.

"Summoning Jutsu!" the three Sanin shouted at the same time. All three Sanin stood atop their respective summons. Tsunade on Katsuyu, Orochimaru on Manda, and Jiraiya on Gamabunta.

"Hey dad!" shouted Gamatatsu as everyone else was running for cover from the three giants.

"Hmm, Manda and Orochimaru. Tsunade and Katsuyu. You planning some sort of special reunion? Eh Jiraiya?" said the Toad Boss taking a smoke from his pipe.

"Don't crack stupid jokes when I call you for a tough job. It's about time to settle an old enmity" said Jiraiya. "Now, we are going to defeat Orochimaru!"

"Hey Orochimaru, what are you smoking?" hissed Manda. "Summoning me to this lame excuse of a land…Want me to eat your sorry ass?"

"Please Lord Manda, we'll thank you generously later on" pleaded Kabuto.

"Who the hell do you think you're talking to?! Keep your dirty gas bags shut, you stupid brat!" Manda directed his insult towards Kabuto.

"Woah!" exclaimed Laxus and Lucy simultaneously. They were standing and still sitting for Laxus behind Tsunade on top of Katsuyu.

"Katsuyu, take these two to Shizune" Tsunade ordered. Out of all the boss summons, Katsuyu was the tamest. She obliged and split off a part of herself to carry Laxus and Lucy to Shizune. "Hold on you two."

"Huh?..." said a confused Laxus. He got his answer a second later as the split Katsuyu fell to the ground, crashing in front of Shizune and leaving Lucy wide-eyed and silently freaking out. The pair and Katsuyu landed in front of Shizune who had just finished healing her own wounds.

"You want me to turn you into toad jerky?" Manda said to Gamabunta.

"Hah, funny. I've always wanted a snake skin wallet" responded Gamabunta, reaching for his sword. Katsuyu remained quiet.

"Orochimaru! You've adopted an evil way that is too much! We are no longer comrades!" declared Jiraiya.

"Comrades? Don't make me laugh" laughed Orochimaru.

"Today is the last time we will be called Sanin together, Orochimaru!" shouted Tsunade.

The battle began. Katsuyu shot acid at Manda, who dodged to and wrapped Katsuyu up, squeezing her tightly. Tsunade gave the command and Katsuyu split into thousands of smaller slugs before reforming away from Manda. Gamabunta and Jiraiya charged at the snake with sword at the ready. Gamabunta lunged but Manda caught the sword with his mouth, disarming Gamabunta.

"Tsunade, get away!" ordered Jiraiya as Tsunade and Katsuyu did so. "Bunta…give me oil!" Gamabunta shot out oil and Jiraiya ignited the oil, producing a massive flamethrower that engulfed Manda and Orochimaru.

When the flames settled, all that remained was a charred snake skin. Manda had escaped. From underground, Manda shot out at Jiraiya and Gamabunta. However, Tsunade had grabbed hold of Gamabunta's sword while in the air and drove it down on top of the snake, piercing him through the roof of the mouth. Unfortunately, that blow did not kill the giant snake.

 _"Woah. This battle is on a whole nother level. Is this Hokage level combat?"_ thought Laxus, becoming even more excited about becoming just as strong one day.

Orochimaru lashed out his tongue, catching Tsunade around the neck. She reeled him in and delivered a bone-shattering punch to his face. Manda disappeared, cursing Orochimaru and threatening to eat him the next time he appeared.

"Tsunade, even if you do not cooperate, there is still one option left…there is still one way to revive my arms" claimed Orochimaru. It was then that Jiraiya and Tsunade saw it. Another face underneath Orochimaru's!

"I will surely destroy the Leaf…we will meet again, Jiraiya, Tsunade…" With that, Orochimaru sunk into the ground while Kabuto disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"That face! Somehow he must have taken over another body!" said a shocked and disgusted Jiraiya. "No wonder he didn't feel like himself when we met."

Tsunade jumped down from the sword, feeling the side effects of using her Jutsu. Her body was starting to revert back to her 50-year old self. "Don't worry, after a bit of rest, I'll be able to revert to my younger self" explained Tsunade. "Let's rest in the village a few days before heading home."

* * *

The following evening, the five of them were sitting in the same bar where they had initially met. "So this old hag is going to be Hokage?" asked Laxus to Jiraiya.

"What are you irritated with, Laxus?" asked Jiraiya.

"Well, if you compare her with the 3rd, she's rough, selfish, loose with money easily pissed off, and stupid…" said Laxus. "Are you sure she can do it? I'm worried? Besides, isn't she a 50-year old hag? She's faking her youth. Someone like the Hokage shouldn't deceive everyone like that."

"Let's take this outside brat!" shouted Tsunade.

"Not again" said Jiraiya as everyone's sweat dropped.

They found themselves outside in the same ally as before. Like last time, Tsunade held up one finger, saying that was all she needed and called Laxus a brat…again.

"Stop calling me brat, dammit!" shouted Laxus. "I'll be as strong as the Hokage someday!"

Laxus ran towards Tsunade, only for this fight to repeat the last. Tsunade flicked off his headband. _"One finger, again?"_ he thought as he braced himself for Tsunade's monstrous strength. The pain he had been expecting never came. Instead, he felt something warm and soft press against his forehead. He opened his eyes to see Tsunade giving him a soft kiss on his forehead. He was a little confused as she gave him a light tap on the chest.

"Become a good man, and a respectable Ninja, brat" Tsunade said, smiling at him. Laxus looked back at her, putting his hands behind his head and giving her a big smile.

"Roger!...Grandma" said Laxus. Jiraiya braced for the Armageddon, but it never came. Shizune had also been watching the whole affair and came up next to everyone. "Oh wait, now that you mention it, I almost forgot. Lucy we have to get that waterfall exercise down today!"

* * *

The five of them found themselves at Laxus and Lucy's training ground. The two genin proceeded to make as many clones as they could, which was 2 for Lucy and Laxus filled up the rest of the log. "Alright!" Laxus shouted as the two of them gathered their chakra. "On three…one…two…three!" With that, Laxus and Lucy poured their wind chakra into the waterfall, successfully cutting it. Laxus cheered, as he once again wrapped his arms around Lucy, causing her to blush but thankfully not faint.

"Now I see why you brought the Hyuga girl along" whispered Tsunade to Jiraiya.

"What?" laughed Jiraiya, trying to get off the subject. "I only brought her along because her father asked me."

"Oh don't get started on that. I remember the time when you hooked Hiashi up with that nice lady. Speaking of which, Lucy has a Byakugan and doesn't have a seal on her forehead" said Tsunade, now playing with a sweating Jiraiya. "I hope you weren't hoping to get anything for your books out of this, were you?"

"What? Of course not" gulped Jiraiya, taking a few steps back and knocking his pack into the water.

"Hey Pervy Sage! Watch where you're going, my money's in there!" shouted Laxus, retrieving Jiraiya's pack. He pulled out the box that Laxus had put his money in from a week ago, revealing the 100,000ryo that he had won from the slot machine.

Tsunade looked at the wad of cash wide-eyed. "Hey Laxus, where did you get all that money?" she asked nicely, obviously trying to get some for gambling later that evening.

Laxus just smiled. "I won it!"

"Wait, you won it? How?" she questioned.

"I don't know. I just put a coin into a machine, pulled a lever and all that money came out" said a still clueless Laxus. Jiraiya explained to Tsunade that the kid had managed to hit the jackpot on the slots the other day and got roughly 100,000ryo out of it. Tsunade was stunned at the kid's luck.

"Alright brat, after dinner you and I are going to the gambling hall and I'm teaching you how to play poker!" declared Tsunade.

"Lady Tsunade!" shouted Shizune. She was obviously against this.

 _"Poker…"_ Laxus thought back to one of the conversations he had with Kurama, the one about gambling souls. "Ahh! I don't want to gamble my soul!"

Tsunade and Shizune looked at him with a confused expression on their faces. Jiraiya explained to them that apparently the Nine tails told Laxus about a Tailed Beast poker night where they wager their vessels souls and Tsunade just laughed at Laxus's pale expression. "Don't worry about what the Nine tails told you brat, this should be all you need." Tsunade pulled out 30,000ryo out of the box.

"Lady Tsunade!" shouted Shizune but her master just ignored her. Laxus was confused, more by how Tsunade knew about the Nine tails but also about the idea of gambling the money with someone who constantly lost.

"Don't worry, I've known about 'Fuzzball' as long as the pervert here. Although as Hokage, I'm going to need to see that contract Jiraiya mentioned" she said.

 **"…Uhg. Why do I have that feeling that everyone's going to start calling me 'Fuzzball' now? Damn it"** swore Kurama, putting his head down with his paws on top of his head. Outside the cage in Laxus's mind, the blonde jinchuriki couldn't stop laughing at the demon's misfortune.

Laxus ran through the seals and summoned the contract. Tsunade took a look over it and was genuinely surprised that the Nine tails had actually agreed to this and that the two had practically befriended each other. Tsunade repeated what Jiraiya told him about using the Nine tails power and that there were people even within the village that would try to exploit it for themselves. However, like Jiraiya and Kakashi before, the name Madara Uchiha worried her greatly.

* * *

Over dinner, Tsunade explained to him the general rules of poker. Afterwards, she dragged him to the hall and sat him down at a table. Most of the other men there were drooling. Not only had the Legendary Sucker shown up, but she also brought along with her some fresh blood.

"Well, well…what do we have here?" asked one of the men. "Are you here to play kid?"

"That's Laxus Dreyer! And yes, I'm here to play" declared Laxus. He sat down and exchanged the money Tsunade had given him for chips. The first game was 5-card draw. As the cards were dealt, one of the men got a happy smile on his face. To the other players, this was a sure sign that he had a good hand. Placing his first bet, the oblivious Laxus was the only one who called.

"What'll you have?" announced the dealer.

"One" said the man with the good hand. The dealer handed him his card and his spirits jumped. That was just the card he needed.

"And for you?" the dealer said, turning to Laxus.

"Uhh, two I guess" said Laxus, handing the dealer two of his cards. The man was trying to contain his laughter. Today was his lucky day. He had a great hand and an oblivious kid with money flowing out the ears. He hated to do it, but the kid would have to learn sooner or later.

"Alright kid, I'll bet 30,000" said the man, pushing in enough that would force Laxus to go all in. Laxus called as everyone else at the table pleaded with him not to. It was too late. The man put down his cards, revealing a full house of 5's and 9's. Even Tsunade was feeling sorry for bringing Laxus into the game as he was.

"Does a flush beat that?" asked Laxus.

"Heh, sorry kid. If a flush is all you have, then I win" declared the man. In disappointment, Laxus put his five cards on the table and put his head down in defeat. Everyone nearly face planted in their seats.

"What?!" screamed the man in disbelief at Laxus's cards. Laxus picked his head with a up to see what everyone was so shocked about, not having a clue. Tsunade just walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

"You won brat" she said, pointing at his cards.

"I did? But that man said his cards beat a flush" said Laxus.

"Well, your flush is special and as such it beats his full house" explained Tsunade. She pointed to his cards, a 10 of hearts, jack of hearts, queen of hearts, king of hearts, and ace of hearts. Laxus had managed to draw a royal flush on his very first hand in poker and doubled the money that he had come in with.

 _ **"Damn, this Kit really is luckier than Chomei"** _ thought Kurama, cracking up at the look on the other man's face. **_"Definitely bringing him to the next Tailed Beast poker night."_**

After about an hour of playing, Laxus began to grow bored and left the table. Before leaving the casino, Tsunade surveyed the damage. Laxus had completely taken away three men's money and left one of them in such a bad state of shock and disbelief that not even Kurama would be able to snap him out of it. Laxus left with almost 100,000ryo, more than tripling the money he came into the casino with.

Returning back to the hotel, Jiraiya was prepared to beat Tsunade's head in for taking Laxus to the casino. He was left dumbfounded when Laxus walked in with a case full of money. The first thing they were doing when they got back to The Leaf was putting the 200,000 ryo that Laxus had won over the course of his trip in the bank, mainly to keep Tsunade away from it.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, so I managed two chapters today. Hopefully I did the relationship between Laxus and Tsunade well enough to cover for the fact that Laxus did not make the bet with her the reason will be revealed later on for why I'm trying to do this. Also Laxus will be fantastic at games that deal with luck.**


	28. Return to The Village

**Disclaimer:** I **do not own Naruto or fairy tail and the first person to comment will be dedicated.**

 **An: Bold will from now own me raging tsunade speech.**

* * *

The group remained in Tanzaka for two more days following Laxus and Lucy's completion of the waterfall exercise to fully rest from their battle against Orochimaru. Much to Shizune's objections, Tsunade had been trying to either drag Laxus back to the casino, or get him to lend her some of his money, which did not work so well seeing as Jiraiya was the one who was holding onto Laxus's money.

Laxus had spent most of those days trying to coax Jiraiya into either teaching him the next exercise for wind manipulation, or teaching him a wind Jutsu. Jiraiya gave into the later, not wanting to move onto the next exercise as he felt that Asuma, another person in the Leaf with a known wind element, would be better suited for that. Jiraiya didn't come fully prepared to teach them actual wind Jutsu, not expecting them to progress this far in their training,

however, he did bring along one scroll with a rather basic wind Jutsu, Wind Style: Gale Palm.

After examining the scroll, the idea of this Jutsu was to compress the wind chakra in between clasped hands and unleash it as a powerful gust. The technique was a basic C-rank Jutsu, but Jiraiya convinced Laxus that it was a good place to start. Regardless of the rank, Laxus was excited to finally be learning his first elemental Jutsu. Being only a C-rank Jutsu, it only took them a day to get the basics of the Jutsu down. The hardest part was compressing the chakra between their hands before they infused it with the wind element. Believe it or not, the compression part was not too difficult for Laxus, as he has already had experience compressing and containing chakra with his Rasengan. Lucy followed closely behind with getting the Jutsu down. The results were rather impressive for a first time as the two genin unleashed their attack on an unsuspecting tree, managing to rip a few larger branches off of it. In combat, this technique was not necessarily meant to wound an opponent, but knock them back with a great force of wind. It also showed promise as a defensive technique, being able to blow away most thrown projectile weapons.

* * *

When the time came for them to return home and Tsunade to assume her role as Hokage, they left Tanzaku town. From there, it was a two day walk and thankfully for Jiraiya, there was a hot spring village at the half way point. This was where they decided to stop for the night.

* * *

Inside the bath, Jiraiya and Laxus were in the men's bathing area with Shizune, Tsunade, and Lucy over in the woman's bathing area. Surprisingly enough, Jiraiya wasn't even attempting to peep. The barrier was perfect for that, being a wall of stacked bamboo and it would be rather easy to wedge a pencil in to give him an opening. However, there were two things preventing him from doing so. The first was that threat from Hiashi a few weeks ago. He liked a healthy chakra flow to certain areas of his body, but what really stopped him, was the second. On the other side of the wall was Tsunade. Even though he was a pervert, he wasn't a stupid pervert. The last time he had been caught peeping on Tsunade was the first time in his life where he nearly died and he didn't want to be spending the next month in the ICU with Tsunade being the one in charge of him.

"Wow Pervy Sage, I'm impressed you aren't peeping" said Laxus. Jiraiya was leaning back against the edge of the bath, taking a sip form a bottle of sake that he had brought with him.

"Kid, there's more to life than women" said Jiraiya. "Speaking of which, are there any girls back home that you, well…you know."

"Huh?…" said Laxus, as dense as ever.

 _"Uhg, and_ _I_ _thought he was actually making progress these past few weeks"_ thought Jiraiya. "You know…are there any girls back at home that are special to you?"

"Huh? Girls that are special to me?" asked Laxus, still confused at where the old pervert was trying to get at.

 **"..."** even the Fox was at a loss of words.

Jiraiya sighed. "By special, are there any girls that you like? You know, do you have someone who you would want to be your girlfriend?" said Jiraiya, finally getting to the point.

"Girlfriend? I don't want a girlfriend" responded Laxus, severely disappointing Jiraiya.

"Oh?" said Jiraiya, slipping a little bit into pervert mode. "Are you sure maybe there something else you would like?"

"Gah! What the hell is wrong with you pervert!" shouted Laxus.

"Jiraiya…" Tsunade was heard across the divider and Jiraiya froze in fear. Her voice was rather sweet sounding, which was usually followed by the 'you'd better run or you're going to die on spot' tone.

"It's not like that, Tsunade" pleaded Jiraiya. "Laxus and I are just having a little…talk."

"Hmph. You better not turn him into a pervert as well" warned Tsunade. Jiraiya turned his attention back to Laxus.

"Well…umm" said Laxus.

Now Jiraiya was curious and started to grill Laxus.

"Now that I think about it, Lucy knew and she never hated me. In fact, she tried to get closer to me, but I never saw it." Laxus was finally beginning to realize. "However, over the past few weeks, I feel like we've gotten to know each other better and know I'm beginning to regret not getting to know her back in the academy. And then there were these times when…well, I don't really know how to describe it. It was warm and I felt happy. Pervy sage, what exactly does that mean?"

 _"Looks like he's beginning to pick up on it_ _a_ _little"_ thought Jiraiya. "I'm sorry, but that's something you'll need to figure out on your own." Laxus was a little depressed Jiraiya wasn't going to answer. "I will say this though, Laxus. When it comes to girls and women, find one who will always be there and support you."

It was at that point in their conversation when someone else joined the two in the hot tub. A man, probably in his early 40's walked in and took a seat directly next to the divider. Jiraiya knew an amateur when he saw one as the man tried to wedge a hole in the divider. "Laxus…let's get out" he said, pointing at the perverted newcomer. Even Laxus knew what this man was doing and actually agreed with Jiraiya. However, an idea was popping into his head, an incredibly evil idea, but this man deserved it.

 **"Do it!"** encouraged Kurama.

Jiraiya walked into the changing room and before Laxus entered, he turned around and took a big breath.

"Hey! Quit peeping at naked women, you Pervert!" he shouted loud enough for the women hear. A few shrieks were heard, followed by something no man will ever hear twice in their life.

"Lady Tsunade!" shouted Shizune, trying to calm the raging big-breasted blonde.

 **"Jiraiya!..."** growled Tsunade, with red eyes that could easily be mistaken for Laxus's eyes when he goes into Nine-tails mode. She smashed through the divider as the women in the bath did their best to cover up. Tsunade looked around; trying to find Jiraiya, but all she saw was that old man. It was obvious that this was the pervert. **"So you like peeping on women, don't you…"**

All over the hot springs the sound of cracking knuckles and breaking bones could be heard. Jiraiya cringed upon hearing this, remembering the time when Tsunade beat him to a pulp.

"Laxus, that was evil, but sadly that man deserved it. Someone who shamelessly peeps on women for no reason deserves that" said Jiraiya.

"What are you talking about, you old pervert. You peep on women as well!" argued Laxus.

Jiraiya turned his head away and crossed his arms as he pouted a bit. "Well, I have a reason. Peeping gives me inspiration to write my books" replied Jiraiya.

 **"Sure"** said Kurama sarcastically. Laxus laughed with the fox.

* * *

The five of them were about an hour or two outside The Leaf. His stomach had been bothering him all day. Despite having eaten only an hour ago, his stomach was craving something else…ramen. He still had the taste of that disgusting ramen from Tanzaku town in his mouth and he knew that there was only one cure for it…Ichiraku ramen, the most delicious ramen in the world.

Like Laxus, something was bothering Lucy; however, it wasn't her stomach. For the past few weeks, she had been able to easily accept that she had wind element chakra instead of the traditional Hyuga earth element. This was mainly due to Laxus distracting her from those thoughts. However, as she got closer to home, the thoughts of telling her father this crept back into her mind and slowly she began to retreat back into her shell.

Unfortunately for Laxus, there were places they had to go first before he could get his ramen and he was sure he could smell it all over the village, torturing him. Their first stop was the Hokage tower where Tsunade had to have a small meeting with the advisors, Homaru and Koharu. They announced that the inauguration would be three days from now, after the local lords and clan heads were able to assemble.

* * *

The next stop once they were in Leaf was the hospital. This is why Laxus had brought her home, to heal Freed and Kakashi-sensei and to have a look at Lee's condition. Tsunade woke Kakashi, scolding him a bit for falling like that to Itachi. Freed was next.

Laxus walked into Freed's room with Tsunade, startling Bickslow and Evergreen. Who were visiting Freed after their mission. The two thoughts first thought upon seeing Tsunade was who exactly this woman was. Tsunade placed her hand on Freed's forehead and channeled some chakra into him. "Freed…you idiot" Evergreen yelled the last part in angry at his recklessness thinking he must have fought someone, this scared both Laxus and Bickslow who were also relieved that Freed was going to be alright.

Standing behind Tsunade while she finished up with Freed was Gai, begging her to look at his student, Lee. Tsunade took a quick look at Lee and unfortunately, it wasn't good. While his arms and legs would eventually heal, he had numerous fragments of bone lodged within his spinal column. Were he to operate as a shinobi, not only would the fragments slow him down, but they would eventually tear through his neural framework, paralyzing him if not worse. She explained that the surgery was incredibly risky; with only a 50% chance of success and that she was the only one skilled enough to perform it. If it failed he would die. Even with the surgery being a success, there was no guarantee that he would be able to perform at the level required to be a shinobi, given months of intensive therapy to even get him back on his feet. Lee was now left with an incredibly difficult decision: Go through with the surgery and risk dying, or give up his lifelong dreams.

* * *

This was the part that Lucy was not looking forward to. Even though Master Jiraiya was accompanying her, she almost feared the upcoming meeting with her father.

"Ah, Lucy, Jiraiya-sensei, I heard the two of you arrived just recently and that Lady Tsunade was accompanying you" said Hiashi, greeting the two of them at the gate of their compound. "I trust everything went smoothly? I hope the training went well as well?" Hiashi looked down at Lucy, who looked at the ground and away from her father's attention. This indicated that something was wrong.

"Actually, I was hoping we could discuss that in private" said Jiraiya. Now Hiashi was curious. Did something happen? Or did Lucy not do well in the training. Hiashi guided them into his study, with Lucy silently following, looking for some way to get out of this. Unfortunately, nothing was going to save her.

"So is something wrong? Did something happen? Or did Lucy not…progress as far as I had expected?" asked Hiashi. "Were those scrolls too much for her?"

"Actually, the funny thing is…those scrolls were completely useless" said Jiraiya, trying to lighten the mood in the room. "I hate to say it, but she didn't even have the opportunity to look at them."

Hiashi shot a look of disappointment at his daughter. "So I am to understand that her training in the earth element was a complete failure?" said a disappointed Hiashi. Lucy retreated into herself even more.

"Sadly, that is the case. She can't use the earth element" stated Jiraiya.

"Lucy, from what I have heard, I am extremely disappointed in you. I expected you to at least be able to use a basic earth Jutsu upon return. Explain yourself" scolded Hiashi. Lucy was about ready to burst into tears.

"It…it's be-because my element…well it's umm…not earth" she said.

"Not earth?" asked Hiashi, raising an eyebrow at her. "Well, then what element do you have?"

"W-wind" she said as Hiashi's eyes grew in shock.

 _"Just like Hitomi"_ he thought, regaining himself. Lucy was preparing herself for the scolding of a life time for failing her father. "I see, then tell me, how did your training in the wind element go?"

"I would say the two of them progressed very far in the wind element. They got through the first two exercises in a matter of a three weeks, about a month faster than your old teammate" said Jiraiya.

"I see…" Hiashi said, thinking for a moment. "I must say that I'm impressed then, Lucy. The wind element is a difficult one to master. And sensei, you said the 'two of them', does that mean Laxus has…" Lucy's head picked up at her father's compliment.

"Yes, both of them have the wind element, which is rather surprising considering how rare it is" explained Jiraiya.

"F-father, you're…you're not disappointed with me?" asked a slightly confused Lucy.

Hiashi shook his head. "No I am not. This is something we can't control, and if I remember correctly sensei, you wanted me to have a wind element" said Hiashi, remembering what Jiraiya had said back in the day.

"I have also seen the value in combining the wind element with the gentle fist.

Unfortunately, the elders I am not so sure about..."

"Oh, about that" said Jiraiya, remembering that one little piece of information from the trip regarding the elders. Hiashi was now interested as to what Jiraiya was about to say. "Let's just say Lucy has known about Laxus's…well, err condition."

"You don't mean…" said Hiashi, as Jiraiya nodded his head. "How did she find out?"

"The funny thing about that is apparently one of the elders told her about it when she was 8" said Jiraiya. Ideas were flowing through Hiashi's head. One of the elders had broken the Third hokage's law. He had been looking for stuff like this to use against them.

"Lucy, who was it?" asked Hiashi, wanting to get names.

"It was Ihro" said Lucy. Ihro was the eldest and strictest of the three elders and now Hiashi had something on him that could one day be used against him, should he get out of line again.

"F-father, what's going to happen now?" asked a concerned Lucy. She wasn't only concerned for how he was going to deal with her, but also how he was going to handle the elders.

"Sensei, you said she got past the first two exercises for wind manipulation?"

Jiraiya nodded. "We finished that almost a week ago, but I felt that her and Laxus were better off learning the next exercise from Asuma. Also Hiashi, it appears as if she has some natural talent with the wind element."

"What do you mean?" asked Hiashi.

"You've seen her Protection of the Eight Trigrams, right?" asked Jiraiya. Hiashi nodded, seeing it during the final round. "That move is a wind style ability. She subconsciously mixed in the wind chakra while developing that, giving it its power."

"I see, so that's why it was so…different" said Hiashi, impressed by what Lucy had actually managed to create. He thought for a little and then turned to Lucy. "Lucy, I am afraid the Hyuga teachings will only work to a limited extent for you now."

"But what am I to do? I-if your instruction doesn't help, th-then how am I supposed to make you p-proud?" asked Lucy.

"I don't know. A few days ago, Neji mentioned to me that something was…off about your gentle fist" explained Hiashi. "I now see why. You are much more like your mother than I had initially thought."

"M-mom? W-what about her?" This was one of the few times she had ever heard Hiashi refer to her mother. When she died, shortly after getting sick, Hiashi was devastated and didn't talk about her much.

"Lucy, like you, your mother had wind chakra. I am happy to say this, you are constantly becoming more and more like your mother. Don't ever change that" Hiashi and Lucy smiled at each other, having a nice father-daughter moment there. "Lucy, from now on, you will be dividing your training between training in the gentle fist with me, training your wind element, and a final training exercise."

"Final training exercise?" she asked.

"Yes, the gentle fist won't do much use for you. With that, you need to begin to create a derivative style of the gentle fist that suits you. I know it will be difficult and I will be here to help you as much as possible, but it is now something that you will have to do if you are to have any hope against the elders in a few years" said Hiashi. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. I have faith in you. Now, why don't you go meet with Neji, he's been wanting to see your progress. I have some business I need to discuss with my sensei."

Lucy bowed and left the study. As the door closed, Hiashi activated the privacy seals around the room. "How is the progress on the seal coming?" Hiashi asked Jiraiya.

* * *

*Flashback*

It was the day after their fight with Orochimaru and Jiraiya finally had a chance to take a look at the Caged Bird Seal provided to him by Hiashi. "Wh-what the hell is this?" he said upon his initial inspection of the seal.

After examining the scroll further, he was growing more and more disgusted with the seal. It was worse than he had imagined.

*End Flashback*

* * *

"It's going to be difficult finding a way to remove it" admitted Jiraiya. "The inner workings of the seal are much more complex than I had thought. It's so entwined with the brain that most removal methods that I know would shred the brain to pieces within the first stages of the process."

"Then it is as I feared. Do you think you will be able to find a way to remove it?" asked Hiashi.

"Possibly. But it will take time to figure out how to unravel the seal from the bearer's brain" said Jiraiya.

"Fine. You are the best hope there is of finding a way to remove it, and if there is anything that you require, I'll supply it to you" offered Hiashi.

"Okay, at some point in time, once I am able to understand this seal more, I may need to examine a branded Hyuga" said Jiraiya.

"So long as the examination will not kill them, I have someone in mind" said Hiashi. Jiraiya knew who this was…Neji.

* * *

The following day, Tsunade was sitting in her office, going over the chunin exam notes left by her predecessor and a few of the judges. Analyzing each of the Leaf contestants, it was clear that most of them had the skills required to be a chunin, but only two individuals stuck out as being ready to fulfill the duties associated with the rank of chunin…Shikamaru Nara and Cana Yuki. Unlike the rest of the rest of the field, both candidates showed an uncanny ability to adapt to the changing conditions of battle. Tsunade was extremely surprised that a Nara had even made it to the final round at such a young age. Normally, it wasn't until they were 15-16 before they were finally forced to put forth the effort.

Cana was another surprise to her. Before leaving the village, the Yuki clan and the Ice Release did not exist in the village, yet Cana was here. Upon further examination of the records, Tsunade saw something even more surprising…Zabuza Momoichi was a registered ninja of this village. The reason why he was a ninja of this village was even more surprising. She would have to meet personally with him, however her schedule was already filling up and the advisors and clan heads had been pushing her to decide the results of the chunin exam.

Based on the data collected from a single round of fights, Tsunade made her decision, calling in Shikamaru and Cana and awarding them their promotion to chunin rank. The reactions from the two were completely different. On one hand, Shikamaru was hoping that by forfeiting the first match, he wouldn't be considered for a promotion. He just wanted to be an ordinary ninja and here he was, reaching the rank of chunin by age 12. There was only one word to describe this…troublesome.

Later that day, Freed was discharged from the hospital after waking the previous day from the almost comatose state Itachi left him in after using the Tsukuyomi on him. Walking from the hospital to training ground 7, where Kakashi had called a team meeting, there were a few questions echoing in his head as he thought about his defeat at the hands of Itachi. Why was there still such a difference in their skill? Why was Itachi interested in Laxus? Where could he get more power so that the next time he saw Itachi, he would be able to kill that man?

* * *

Team 7 arrived at the training ground. Kakashi's intention was to discuss the new Hokage Tsunade which kept Cana and Sakura's interest for a little. Laxus was easily distracted as he had just spent practically the last two weeks with her. Freed was busy brooding.

"Kakashi-sensei, is that a chunin vest Cana and Shikamaru on?" asked a shocked Evergreen, not at Cana's slight change in attire but at Shikamaru's and noticing the presence of team 10. Shikamaru having a chunin jacket also.

"Yes, it appears as if Cana and Shikamaru made chunin" said Kakashi.

"Wait?! Who else got chunin?" asked Laxus, hoping that Tsunade chose to promote him as well.

"Just us" replied Cana.

"What really?" the rest of the team said in unison, surprised that Shikamaru had actually managed to get promoted and they didn't. Cana had to explain that she wasn't really sure on the promotion process, but said that Tsunade promoted them based on the notes left by the judges and the Third before invasion began. Laxus would have to have a word with Grandma Tsunade later on why he didn't get promoted. Laxus spent the next few minutes complaining that he should have gotten promoted as well. After all, he had been training extensively for the past few weeks.

"Exactly what kind of training, Idiot ?" asked Freed.

"Chakra nature manipulation, I think is what Pervy Sage called it" replied Laxus. This caught the attention of everyone on the team. Chakra nature manipulation was something that usually wasn't taught until one became a chunin, not to mention that was a type of training that Freed and Bickslow had only gone through now Laxus had done it as well.

"Chakra nature manipulation?" asked Evergreen. She was smart, but this wasn't something that was taught in the academy in depth as they didn't want the students rushing into this particular type of training. Kakashi then had to explain in depth the five different elements, explaining how everyone had at least one elemental affinity that was strong and that some people had two, using Freed as an example as he had both a lightning and fire nature to his chakra. "Wait, so then what nature does Laxus's chakra have?"

"Wind, Lightning, and Water" said Laxus, smiling a bit. This surprised Kakashi as he explained that not only wind was a rather rare affinity but having three elements was rare.

"Hey Kakashi-sensei, speaking of which, how do my elements match up against Freed here?"

Freed scuffed at the comment.

"Well, actually I'm glad that you mention it. You see, each element has a certain element that they are strong against and a certain element that they are weak against. You have a wind element, which would give you an advantage over Freed's lightning because wind acts as a natural insulator" explained Kakashi.

Laxus cheered and even rubbed it in a brooding Freed's face. "Don't get too excited Laxus, I said Freed has two elements with the second of his, fire, actually being the element that wind is at a disadvantage against."

Now it was Laxus's turn to pout. "Wind fans the flames, making them more powerful."

This caught Freed's attention. "What do you mean makes the flames more powerful? I thought the element that has the advantage cancels out the other" he asked.

"Yes, well that is normally the case, but the relationship between wind and fire is special. Think, if you fan a fire, it only becomes bigger" explained Kakashi.

Team 7 got this analogy. "For this case, let's say Laxus were to use a wind Jutsu to try and cancel out a fire Jutsu of yours, most likely he would only make the flames more powerful and he would be hit with a stronger fire. The same goes for using fire in conjunction with wind. Now, if the two of you are facing an opponent, and you use a fire Jutsu while Laxus uses a wind Jutsu, he will make your attack stronger, Laxus water will extinguish your fire but enhance your lightning."

This interested Freed. Perhaps the Idiot wasn't so useless after all.

"Hey Kakashi-sensei, what about Cana's ice-style and Bickslow beast scroll Jutsu? What category does that fit into?" asked Laxus.

"Ah, now there is an interesting point, care to explain Cana and Bickslow?" said Kakashi.

"Mine a water Element. My brother taught me." Bickslow said simply.

"Ice-style doesn't fit into any of the five categories, in fact it is a combination of two elements: wind and water" explained Cana.

"Combination of wind and water? Wait, does that mean that if I learn water I could use ice style?" asked Laxus.

"No. The ability to combine two different nature chakras into a new nature is extremely rare and it is considered a blood limit. The First Hokage's wood style was another example" explained Kakashi. "This is something that is passed down through a specific lineage, such as Freed's Sharingan or the Hyuga's Byakugan. Also, not even the Sharingan can copy Justus produced from a blood limit, so I can't copy Cana's Ice Release."

"Alright, but then does that mean Cana can use wind as well? I know she can use water, but can she use wind?" asked Laxus.

"I can, but I've only trained my wind chakra to an extent where I can use ice natured chakra. I've really only focused mainly on my Ice Release, and to some extent the Water Release" explained Cana.

"That brings me to my next question Laxus. Normally the first exercise, cutting the leaf, would take months to complete, yet Jiraiya informed me that you can already use a wind Jutsu. How did you complete the first two phases in a matter of weeks?" asked Kakashi.

Laxus smiled. "Shadow clones."

"I see. It looks like you've discovered the real purpose behind the shadow clone technique" said Kakashi.

"Real purpose?" asked Freed. What was this 'real purpose' and how did it give Laxus such good results? He had to know.

Kakashi explained that shadow clones transferred the memories and experience back to the original upon being dispelled. This resulted in the experiences from training being multiplied by the number of clones created. This was just what he needed. Fortunately, Laxus had the shadow clone Jutsu, and he had the Sharingan. All he had to do was have his Sharingan active the next time Laxus used his shadow clones and he would be able to copy the Jutsu.

Fortunately, Laxus was about to do just that. Freed hurried to activate his Sharingan as Laxus used his Shadow Clone Jutsu to use them to show the results of using them. Freed had it, the tool that would help him with his training. He made the same hand seal Laxus and mimicked the chakra flow that his Sharingan picked up with Laxus. Kakashi's uncovered eyebrow rose when he saw what Freed was trying to do. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" shouted Freed as five Freed clones popped into existence. Laxus began freaking out.

"What?! How the hell can you use the Shadow Clone Jutsu?" he shouted at Freed.

"I was wondering when you would finally copy that Jutsu from Laxus" said Kakashi.

"What? You mean he copied me?!" shouted Laxus.

"Why? You got a problem with that Idiot?" asked all six Freeds in unison. It was at this time where Laxus would get the last laugh as Freed began to feel the chakra drain from using the Jutsu. The clones dispelled and Freed fell to his knees panting.

"Now you also see why it's a jonin-level technique. The amount of chakra it uses is very large. Although I'm impressed you were able to make 5 right off the bat like that" said Kakashi, smiling at Freed's foolishness.

"Kakashi-sensei, then how come Laxus can make so many?" asked Evergreen helping Freed to find his feet then Bickslow punched Freed's shoulder and nodded to Laxus.

"Because, if there is one place Laxus had the two of you beat, it's in the amount of chakra he has" said Kakashi.

"What? Really? How much does Laxus have?" she asked again.

Kakashi thought for a second. "At this point in time, about 50x more than I do and almost 100x more than Freed" explained Kakashi.

"Why is that" Shikamaru said with a shocked team 10 and nervous Asuma who is watching this entire time.

"W-what?!" the rest of Team 7 said, while Laxus just smiled. "How?"

Kakashi explained to team 10 that Laxus's chakra developed greatly as a kid. This was an acceptable answer to them. But team 7 were well aware that the Nine-tails itself was a being of immense chakra and probably had something to do with it.

While their meeting came to an end, there was one thing left that Evergreen wanted to know. There was a reason it wasn't taught at the academy and this was pretty much it. "Kakashi-sensei, so what is my element?" she asked. Kakashi's head dropped. He had been hoping to get out of this.

Kakashi sighed and handed her a piece of chakra litmus paper. He explained to her how the paper works and used the Evergreen as an example. Evergreen did as she was instructed and channeled the chakra into her paper. The paper burst into flames, indicating she had the fire element.

* * *

The meeting came to an end and Team 7 was dismissed. As Laxus turned to walk away, he was stopped by Freed. There was one more thing Freed needed to know. "Laxus, why was Itachi after you?" he asked in a demanding tone, wanting to know why Itachi had no interest in him.

Evergreen and Bickslow wasn't entirely sure what Freed was talking about. In fact, Evergreen didn't even know who this Itachi was.

"Freed, Itachi is your brother right? The one who you want to kill?" asked Laxus.

It finally came to Evergreen and Bickslow. Itachi was THAT man. The one he said he lived to kill when the team met for the very first time with Kakashi-sensei.

"Yeah, that's right" said Freed coldly. "Why was he interested in you?"

"I don't know why they want him, but they were actually after Kurama" said Laxus.

"The Nine-tails? Why would he want the Nine-tails?" asked Freed.

"I don't know exactly why they want it, but apparently he's part of an organization known as Akatsuki and they are after the Nine-tails" said Laxus. "At least that's what Pervy Sage told me."

This made sense to Freed. If there was one thing he knew was that if Itachi ever got his hands on the Nine-tails, then there would be no chance of him defeating Itachi. As such, he would have to get stronger to ensure that didn't happen. He had a few things on his to-do-list, including a summoning contract that had been on his mind ever since Laxus summoned Gamabunta to help them fight Gaara. He had an idea on where he was going to get one and fortunately, he had to make a trip there in a few days.

Unfortunately for the rest of the senseis the Leaf 13, their teams were also on the same discussion of elemental chakra manipulation.

Lucy told her team about what she had been working on and Elfman immediately began asking Kurenai about chakra nature manipulation until finally he convinced her to help them find out what their elements were. After all was said and done, Elfman had a fire element and Shino had an earth element.

Neji had told Levy about the training that he had been doing with Hiashi, learning earth chakra manipulation as was common with most Hyuga his age. As a result, Levy's constant nagging forced Gai's hand and he decided to test her element as well. After explaining what each element was, Levy was really hoping for the wind element as that would go hand-in-hand with her use of weapons. Now, two wind users within a few years was extremely rare for Leaf, but three would have just been unbelievable. Fortunately for Levy, she did have a wind element.

As for Team 10, now that Shikamaru was a chunin, it was actually time for him to learn elemental manipulation.

Unfortunately for Asuma, Mira wanted to know her element. After some begging from Mira, he finally gave in. Shikamaru, who was supposed to be the only one to learn about this ended up with a fire nature to his chakra, which suited him rather well. Fire created light and light created shadows. This would work out perfectly for him. Chouji found out that he had earth natured chakra, which was common amongst the Akimichi clan. Mira discovered she had a water nature to her chakra.

For the senseis of the Leaf 14, this was exactly what they were hoping to avoid. Freed, Cana, Neji, and Lucy should have known because of their clans and Shikamaru because he was a chunin, but everyone else should not have known until they were at least chunin. Unfortunately, now they were stuck with teams begging them to help them in their elemental chakra nature training.

It was the day of September 20. The day after the hype of elemental chakra manipulation, and the day that Tsunade was to be inaugurated as the Fifth Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Tsunade stood atop the Hokage tower with the entire village in the square below, cheering her on. She had on the ceremonial Hokage robes and the Hokage hat. Laxus stood down below with his team.

"From this day forth, I swear to lead and protect The Village hidden in the Leaves with my very life as the Fifth Hokage!" announced Tsunade as the entire village let out a big cheer.

* * *

 **A/** **N:** **Hoping** I **did the meetings between Hiashi, Lucy, and Jiraiya and the one with Team** **7 correctly. Also, even though everyone knows their elemental affinity, doesn't mean** **I'm going to be giving them elemental Jutsu. Until they become chunin, most people won't be learning chakra nature manipulation (the only exceptions to this are Freed, Laxus, Lucy, Neji, and Cana). Shikamaru will begin his training (although** **I probably won't be covering his training except maybe in** **a** **short flashback), but then again he is actually ready for this being a** **chunin.**

 **A/N:** **Regarding who** **I** **made chunin, Shikamaru obviously made chunin in cannon.** **I** **made Cana** **a** **chunin as well, given that she does in fact have the abilities of** **a** **good tactician. Also,** **a** **few of the village elders may have helped push the decision in favor of him being** **a** **chunin, trying to secure the last known bearer of the Ice Release blood limit to the village. Cana will still remain with Team** **7** **but she will also be going off on her own missions as well now.**

 **Comments and reviews appreciated. Also, if there is any confusion with how** **I'm** **going to handle the Hyuga clan in this story, let me know and** I **will try to clear it up, either in** a **message or as** a **side note in another chapter.**


	29. Cat Attack

**An: I do not own Naruto or fairy tail and the first person to comment will be dedicated**

* * *

A few days have passed as was finally getting the hang of using shadow clones for training purposes. This was just what he needed. Despite only being able to use four clones for the basic exercises and lower level Jutsu, and no more than two for the higher level Jutsu and Chidori, the results were just what he had been looking for. He found the most use for training with them when he went to practice his weapon usage or taijutsu, as the memories of how he moved and the slight adjustments me made came to him. He also knew that when it came time to work on a new Jutsu, that they would shorten the time that he would be required to take to learn the Jutsu.

Freed was wandering through town, looking for his team mates The other day, he had asked about the details about obtaining and summoning contract and that he was going to try to obtain the Cat Summoning Contract. This contract was something that was passed throughout the Uchiha clan, but only to those who completed a certain task. For Freed, his task was to collect the paw prints of numerous cats. Itachi had started him on this journey, but Freed stopped collecting the paw prints with only two left to go when Itachi betrayed the village and murdered the entire clan. Until recently, the Cat contract was something Freed really wanted as it reminded him too much of Itachi. However, with the recent display of power that Laxus had showed with his own contract, Freed's mind had changed. Now he wanted the contract. The two prints he had left to collect after their battle with the Shukaku were Matatabi the Two tails, and Nekomata, the boss of the ninja cat underworld.

* * *

To him, it was almost like fate was shining down on him to complete the task and get the contract. In fact, he had met Yugito, the jinchuriki of the Two tails, during the exams and after a quick, yet intense, sparing match after the whole ordeal with the finals was concluded, she and Matatabi agreed to give Freed the Two tails paw print. As of now, he only had to collect the paw print of the Cat Boss, Nekomata.

After some convincing by Freed that he was ready for a summoning contract, Kakashi allowed him to go; however, since this was outside the village, it would have to be on either a mission or clan business and he would have to take his team with him.

Thankfully, he had to meet with Nekobaa, an old woman who lived in an abandoned city in the south of the Land of Fire. Nekobaa was an old cat lady and friend of the Uchiha clan. She was also the primary supplier of ninja tools to the Uchiha, giving Freed his excuse to pursue the contract. With her lived Denka and Hina, two ninja cats. These two were the ones who initially issued the task to Freed and it was they that kept the Cat Summoning Contract.

After his long hiatus from collecting paw prints, Freed was finally determined to complete the collection and earn the contract.

* * *

Evergreen was the one he was looking for as she was the harder of the two to find. Laxus, on the other hand, would most likely be one of two places: the Ramen shop or the training grounds.

After about 1hr 45 minutes, a frustrated Freed finally found Evergreen. She was hanging around In Mira's shop, spreading gossip when she should have been training. Now for Laxus and Bickslow.

Thankfully for Freed, Laxus was at the training grounds with Bickslow; at least someone was doing something useful.

* * *

"Wind Style: Gale Palm!" he shouted, practicing his new Jutsu. It was at this time that Freed and Evergreen came on scene. Freed saw the Jutsu coming and was able to duck behind a tree to avoid the gust of wind. Evergreen on the other hand, didn't quite have the reflexes and was knocked flat on her back. As a result, she began trying to beat Laxus as she always did when he did something stupid, but was stopped by Freed and Bickslow who was practicing making water out of air. In Laxus's defense, they had walked in on him unexpectantly. Evergreen wasn't willing to argue with Them.

* * *

After a quick explanation as to why they were going, the three reported to the Hokage tower. They informed the Hokage of their intentions, to retrieve the necessary supplies to restock the Uchiha supply and to obtain the Cat Contract. If it hadn't been for a long day of paper work, Tsunade would have questioned Freed's decision to face Nekomata. The paper work was already killing her as the stuff that she had yet to catch up on from the previous weeks before she came back to the village just kept piling up. She was in no mood for arguing with a hot-headed Uchiha…in fact, the only things she needed right now was a drink and a long nap.

* * *

After about a day's journey, the quartet of Leaf genin found themselves at an abandoned town and the home of Nekobaa and her granddaughter Tamaki. Upon entering the old lady's shop, Freed was confronted by two cats, Denka and Hina. To pass, they asked for a treat. Evergreen was a little freaked out by a talking cat and Bickslow didn't like them to much, but it was no different than a talking toad to Laxus. Freed knew how to deal with them and pulled out a tube of catnip from his pocket. The two ninja cats allowed the four to pass.

"Freed? Is that you?" said Nekobaa, taking a look at Freed. She hadn't seen him since after that dreadful night almost three years ago. She was sitting on the floor, sipping some tea and playing with about a dozen regular cats around her. "After all these years, what finally brings you here?"

"Freed?" said an excited girl, about the same age as the three genin. She wore and orange sleeveless shirt and had shoulder length brown hair, matching the color of her eyes. Taking a look at Freed, the girl blushed a little.

"Hello Tamaki" greeted Freed. He then turned back to Nekobaa. "I'm surprised you are still in this place. The town is abandoned."

"Yes, well this place has always been a good home to me and I have nowhere else to go" replied the old cat woman.

"You could always come to The Leaf" he replied.

"So Freed, what brings you here?" asked Tamaki, looking at him.

"I've come to finish my task" he said, pulling out a book.

"Ah, your Paw Encyclopedia" said Denka, opening the book. "I was hoping you would come around to completing it one day. Hmm…let's see here…Wow, I'm impressed you got the Nibi's print. Looks like all you need is…"

"What is it he needs?" asked Evergreen, curious to the ninja cat's pause.

"He needs Nekomata's paw print" explained Denka as Tamaki gasped slightly.

"Nekomata?" replied Evergreen.

"Yes, he's the boss of the Cat Underground and an extremely strong foe. It will be hard to even get near him, let alone getting his paw print" explained Denka.

"Umm…so what's so special about getting a paw print? Why would this Nekomata make such a big deal about it?" asked Evergreen.

"Because browny, to a cat, giving out our paw print is just as bad and just as embarrassing as if you had a picture taken of you…naked" explained Hina.

"We cats value our cleverness and someone having our paw print is a sign that we've been outsmarted. It's extremely degrading." Evergreen got the analogy. She of all people, wouldn't want a picture taken of her naked.

"So then why does Freed need to collect these paw prints?" she asked.

"It's so that I can get a summoning contract" said Freed.

"Summoning contract?" asked Evergreen.

"Yeah, it gives you the ability to summon a creature to your side to aid you in battle" explained Laxus, already familiar with summoning contracts. "I guess it's like the contract I signed with the Toads, only this one is for cats."

"What? You have a summoning contract?" asked Evergreen, completely surprised. She did not see the giant toad Laxus summoned to save her and as such, she didn't know he had one. _"Even Laxus has a summoning contract"_ thought a depressed Evergreen.

"Cha! Then we'll just have to find one as well. One that is stronger than Laxus and Freed's." declared Inner Evergreen.

"So Freed needs to go find this Nekomata cat, defeat him, and get his paw print…piece of cake" said Evergreen.

"It's not that simple. Besides the Nibi, Nekomata is the strongest of the ninja cats. Not to mention, you need to sneak into his heavily guarded fortress" explained Denka.

"Here, you'll need these" said Tamaki, handing everyone a pair of cat ears on a head band. He also explained to the group the location of Nekomata's fortress and that those ears would be enough of a disguise to get them inside.

* * *

Team 7 made their way to the south of the Fire Country, near the border of the Land of Rivers, and the costal location of Nekomata's fortress. Standing on a cliff overlooking the fortress, Freed explained their mission, to obtain a paw print of the Boss of the Ninja Cats, Nekomata. With their mission set, the team placed the cat-ear headbands on their head. Laxus, Bickslow, and Freed both doubted if this would actually work; after all, their disguise only consisted of two ears. Evergreen on the other hand was thinking on how cute she looked with the cat ears on, causing the three boys on the team to doubt their disguise even more.

Nonetheless, Team 7 approached the door to the fortress to find two larger ninja cats standing guard. The two guards gave them a suspicious look and Laxus was preparing for a fight. "I don't think I've seen you two around here before" questioned one of the guards.

"Well, you see we are kind of new" said Freed, trying to bluff their way through.

The guards took a look over the three 'ninja cats' standing in front of them, worrying Freed that their disguise was failing. "Well then, if you're new here, you know what that means" said the guards, reaching for their weapons. Team 7 braced themselves, fearing that their disguise had failed. The guards flipped a button on the bottom of their weapons and a feathery tail popped out of the tip of the weapons. Team 7 nearly faulted. "Is everything alright?" asked one of the guards as Freed motioned to the team to just play along. Team 7 got into 'cat-mode' and began playing with the toys the guards had given them until the guards hustled them into the fortress. They still weren't sure what had happened but their disguise had actually worked.

The team split up, hoping to find Nekomata's location within the fortress. For Freed, he was intending to find Nekomata. He didn't mention it, but he was figuring Laxus would eventually mess something up and draw the attention of the entire fortress, giving him a clear shot towards Nekomata. On the other hand, he was actually relying on Evergreen to be able to pick up some information.

* * *

Wandering around the castle, Evergreen found her way into a bar/restaurant within the fortress. Sitting down at the bar, the bartender and another cat in the area took notice to her presence. In their eyes, she was a brown-haired female feline and a rather attractive one. The bartender handed her a complimentary drink and a can of tuna-flavored cat food while the other cat sat down next to her and ordered the same thing. After a few moments, waiting for his drink, the patron cat actually began flirting with her. However, once the food arrived, it appeared as if he was much more interested in the food in front of him than the female 'cat' sitting next to him. Evergreen used this time to begin questioning him about the whereabouts of Nekomata, even using the food that she had refused to touch to sweeten the deal. Eventually, the patron let it slip that Nekomata could be found in the highest part of the fortress. Evergreen took her leave while the cat was too focused on finishing the extra meal to notice her leaving.

Laxus and Bickslow weren't exactly sure where they are, but wandering around the castle, they found themselves in a room where a few cats were sitting around a table playing poker. One of the cats motioned for Laxus to join, but Laxus stated that he didn't have anything to wager. One of the cats, who had a rather large stack of chips, offered Laxus a few chips to get him started, stating that all he had to do was pay him back once he won some chips of his own. Laxus agreed and sat down at the table, joining their game. Since the night in the casino with Tsunade, Laxus had been taught by her the rules and different hands of the games and now he wasn't completely oblivious to what was going around him. Laxus won the first hand, and the second, and even the third, surprising the cats and shocked Bickslow with his lucky streak. "Hey you're not half bad. I haven't seen you around before, are you new?" ask one of the cats.

"Yeah, I actually just got here" mentioned Laxus.

Another cat picked up on something else about Laxus. "Hey, you smell kind of funny…almost fox-ish" said that cat. Cats and foxes weren't exactly the best of friends, although their relationship was better than that of cats and dogs, or cats and rodents. "Did you manage to beat one up on your way here?"

Laxus and Bickslow let out a hollow laughs, as this comment caught Kurama's attention.

"Yeah, come on, tell us how you beat up one of those stupid animals" mentioned another cat. The questions from the remaining cats just kept pouring in and Kurama's patience was drawing thin.

 **"Kit, I know you're trying to help your friend, but we can at least smack a few of these fish-brains around while we are waiting on your friend to finish up"** said Kurama, wanting desperately to shut these cats up.

"So come on, how did it go?" asked a cat again. Not sure what to say, Laxus just brushed the top of his head as he would normally do in a situation like this. However, this time Laxus had on the cat ears and doing so caused them to slip off his head. The cats stared wide-eyed at the now revealed ninja.

"Huh? Is something wrong?" asked Laxus, looking at the cats.

 **"Finally things are going to get fun"** said the Nine-tails.

* * *

Evergreen had managed to meet up with Freed and had revealed the location of Nekomata.

"Good, now all we need is for Laxus to create some sort of distraction" said Freed. Right on que, the alarms in the compound began to sound and they thought that they heard a cat cry out 'human!' This was what they were waiting for as Freed and Evergreen slipped past the guards who were rushing to where Laxus was. The two found their way up the stairs, leading to a door that was guarded again by two cat guards.

"Hey you two. Apparently there are humans in the complex, shouldn't you be helping out?" asked one of the guards. Freed and Evergreen looked at one another and nodded.

"Evergreen Blizzard" whispered Evergreen as the two guards were enveloped in her genjutsu. Freed used this time to knock them out and tie them up, clearing their way to Nekomata. They opened the door, stepping into a rather large room with a large cat-figure sitting behind a screen at the other end of the room.

* * *

"Shadow Clone Jutsu" shouted Laxus as he was working to fend off wave after wave of ninja cats coming after him. Suddenly, Laxus felt a few small bursts of demon chakra flood his system. _"Hey, what are you doing? I'm actually doing fine here"_ asked Laxus to the demon Fox inside him.

 **"These furballs insult me and my kind and you expect me to just sit aside Kit?"** explained Kurama.

 _"Uhg, fair enough" s_ aid Laxus as even more chakra flowed into him. It wasn't enough to induce the fox-cloak, but it was enough to cause Laxus to take on a few fox-like features and enhanced senses. Needless to say, the ninja cats weren't too much of a match for the demon-powered blonde and blue haired friend.

* * *

"Ah, Freed Uchiha Justine. Grandma has been telling me so much about you. I was wondering if you would finally show" said the giant cat from behind the shade. "I know why you're here and I'm sorry to say but I will not be giving you my paw print."

"That's fine by me. Just means I'll have to beat you and take it myself" replied Freed. He then turned to Evergreen. "Let me do this on my own. I don't need help to beat this guy."

"But Freed, let me…" replied Evergreen.

"No. Itachi beat him years ago and now I need to do the same. If I can't, then how am I supposed to catch up to him?" replied Freed. Evergreen could say any more as Freed began his battle.

Nekomata stepped out from his shroud to face his opponent. Looking at the Cat Boss, he was about tbe size of a two story building with white fur that had black markings over it. His tail was split at the end, making it appear as if he had two tails, although the tails fused into one about half way down.

The room grew dark as the two began and shadows of cats began to dart towards Freed. Not knowing what was going on, the first cat made contact with Freed and left a deep scratch in his left arm. The second cat was running towards Freed and he responded by firing a Great Fireball Jutsu at the shadow cat. Freed's attack didn't help as the cat just jumped through the fireball and landed another blow on his left arm, just above the elbow.

Freed realized that this had to be genjutsu if his ninjutsu had no effect on the shadow cat. He activated his Sharingan and it quickly cut through the effects of the genjutsu. The scratches on his arm dissipated along with the genjutsu that Nekomata had cast. "Ah, the Sharingan" commented the giant cat. "It has been awhile since I've seen it, but the Sharingan won't do you much good if your body can't keep up with me."

With that, Nekomata took off after Freed, darting towards him at high speeds. Freed's Sharingan could keep up with the cat's movements, but Freed realized that he was still lacking some of the speed and agility that would be required to fully dodge the cat's attacks. He was able to dodge the attack to a point where he took minimal damage, but was still sent flying halfway across the room.

Recovering quickly, Freed made his charge towards the Cat Boss. The cat swung his claws at Freed, forcing him to dodge by jumping upwards onto the ceiling. Nekomata took his tail and lashed out at Freed while he was clinging to the ceiling using his chakra, throwing him across the room.

"Freed!" shouted Evergreen and Laxus, who had just arrived at the Cat Boss' room after finishing up the hoard of cats in the floors below.

"Stay out of this. I've got everything under control" said Freed as he struggled to his feet.

Nekomata laughed. "You think you can win? You can barely stand on his feet" taunted the cat. "Your brother could do better than you."

"Don't compare me to Itachi!" shouted Freed, making a quick hand sign. "Explode!" As Freed said that, a few explosive tags on the ceiling exploded, causing a pile of rubble to collapse on top of Nekomata, trapping him underneath. While Freed was clinging onto the ceiling, he had set a few explosive tags before being flung off.

* * *

With the Cat Boss down, Freed took out a rather large scroll to collect his prize. Nekomata's paw print. The trio set out to leave the room. Before they could exit, they heard a laugh come from the cat just behind them. "Haha, smart and cleaver, just like your brother" said the cat. Team 7 prepared for round two. "Don't worry, the fight is over Freed. I believe this is actually what you came for." Nekomata pulled himself out of the rubble and over to his seat. He reached inside and pulled out a rather large scroll that Laxus recognized as it was similar to the scroll that Jiraiya had given him.

* * *

"Wait, is this?" asked Freed.

"Yes. This is the Cat Summoning Scroll" commented Nekomata. "You have proven that you are cleaver and strong, just like us cats and as such, I will offer you our contract." Freed nodded, accepting the contract. Like Laxus and the Toad Contract, Freed signed his name in blood on the contract, and performed the summoning jutsu. When the smoke cleared, Hina and Denka sat in front of him.

"Well, it looks like you accomplished what you set out to do" said Hina. "I hope you use our contract wisely."

After some more chatting amongst the cats, Team 7 set out with their mission accomplished. The next morning, Kakashi had arranged for a team meeting to see Freed's new summon. At the meeting, Freed performed the jutsu in front of Kakashi, showing that he could in fact summon cats.

* * *

At the mission hall in Konoha, Team Karutsu had just returned from their mission. Karatsu was a jonin instructor assigned to his team of genin the year before Neji graduated the academy. The strongest member on his team was Shinji Hyuga, the eldest son of Kenjo Huyga, grandson of Ihro Hyuga, and the heir of that family of the main branch. Shinji already possessed the talent to advance to chunin and Karatsu had been pressured by the Hyuga clan for years to let him participate. However, Karatsu felt that the other two members of his team, Umi Retani and Hokono Funi, both descended from civilian clans, were not yet ready for such an exam. As such, the potential of this Hyuga had been 'held back' despite the fact that he was only 13 (the typical age for most genin to take the chunin exam for the first time is around 16, however, there are cases where younger genin that have shown talent have taken the exams when they were younger. This was the case with the Konoha 14 and Kakashi).

The mission Team Karutsu had just finished was none other than the mission nicknamed as the 'Genin's Bane', also known as the Capture Tora mission. The Fire Daimyo's wife was busy suffocating the poor cat and the team was relieved that was finally done.

"Poof!" Tora disappeared from the Fire Daimyo's Wife's arms in a puff of smoke. Team Karutsu just stared at the whole event wide-eyed and fearing what was most likely going to happen next.

"Tora?" said the lady, looking around for where her cat may have gone. "Oh dear, she seems to have gotten lost again. Children, I don't suppose you could go fetch her again for me" asked the noble lady. They shot a look at Tsunade, asking her to send some other team, but the Hokage just motioned for them to complete their mission, as it was no longer complete. The team sighed and dragged their tired feet out the door for round 2 of the chase.

* * *

"Gah!" shouted Laxus, realizing what cat Freed had just summoned. The rest of Team 7 had similar reactions and as quickly as Tora disappeared from the Fire Daimyo's Wife's arms, Team 7 disappeared from the scene, not wanting to become involved with THAT mission ever again. They eventually regrouped at Ichiraku's. Laxus had been the one to go there first and by the time the rest of the team had arrived, he was already sipping down his first bowl. There was no point in dragging him off now, and everyone else was agreeing they could use a bite to eat that didn't taste like cat-food.

"Freed, we are going to need to work on controlling which cats you can summon. I want to make this very clear…never summon THAT cat ever again" scolded Kakashi. "You understand, right?"

"I completely understand. That contract is more dangerous than it seemed" replied Freed.

* * *

Lucy sat in her room, trying to think about something that was coming up that was very important. Today was October 7, three days before the birthday of one Laxus Dreyer. The past few years, she had known pretty much what to get him many days before his birthday. Last year, she had gotten him that pair of goggles that he used to wear back in the academy. The year before was that famed orange jacket that he was always wearing (the pants, he had ended up getting separately after he realized just how much he liked the jacket). The year before that one was when she got him Gama, his frog wallet. Four years ago, which was the first year she really began to take notice of him and develop a crush on him, the time in the academy when he saved her from a group of bullies. For that year, she simply got him a loaded Ichiraku's gift card, noticing how much he liked the place. After that, she realized just how lonely he really was and that she was the only one who had gotten him presents for his birthday besides the Third.

Every year since four years ago, she got him a present and the idea for the present usually came from the observations that she made while err, stalking him around town. Each year, she told herself that she would personally hand the gift to him and let him know that there was someone in Konoha that was glad he was there. However, every time, she was too shy to carry through with her intentions. She wanted so bad to let him know that those gifts he had been getting from an anonymous person were from her.

"Big Sister?" It was around this time that Wendy had come looking for her sister. She hadn't seen Lucy for a few hours and Lucy did not realize that she had been in her room this long.

"Oh, hello Wendy" responded Lucy.

"Big sister, why have you been in your room for these past few hours?" asked the younger Hyuga.

"It…it's nothing. I was just thinking…" said Lucy.

"About what?" asked Wendy, getting a rather devious smile on her face. "Oh, I see. Laxus's birthday is coming up isn't it? What are you going to get him this year?"

Lucy's posture quickly straightened and she began to blush, indicating to the bluenet that she had guessed spot on. "H-how did you know?"

"To be honest, you aren't very good at keeping your feelings from him a secret, especially in this clan. At least half the clan knows you get him something for his birthday and even more know that you kind of like him" said Wendy, causing Lucy to turn a darker shade of red. "So, what are you going to get him?"

"I…I don't know" said Lucy, lowering her head. "The past few years I have been able to find something that he really wants, but this year it has been more difficult. I want to give him something that shows him that I care for him, but I just can't seem to think of it."

Wendy thought on this for a little. "Hmm…well, you are a really good cook. From what father has told me, he's usually been alone on his birthday. Not to mention, it doesn't seem like anyone comes around to celebrate with him or even bring him a cake…"

Both Lucy and Wendy got the same idea. If Laxus has never had a birthday cake before, Lucy would make him his first one, and hopefully not the last one she would be making him. This would be special and something he would remember. "Oh, and you're going to give it to him personally this year, aren't you?"

"W-what makes you say t-that, Wendy? I-I always give h-him his present" lied Lucy.

"No, you just leave it at his door and then hide around the corner" said Wendy, calling Lucy's bluff. Lucy's head dropped.

"Am I really that bad?" asked a depressed Lucy. Wendy just nodded.

"But you WILL give this to him and not just leave it at his door, right?" asked the smaller of the two.

"I-I umm…" stuttered Lucy as she began to play with her fingers.

Wendy shot her a little glare, trying to get her sister to gather the courage to finally tell Laxus how she felt. After all, what were sisters for? "You're right, Wendy. I need to show Laxus how I feel about him" admitted Lucy.

"Good, now that that's settled, let's get to baking that cake!" exclaimed Wendy as she raced off towards the kitchen. Despite being a confident shinobi prodigy from one of the most esteemed clans in Leaf, Wendy was still a six year-old girl, and like all girls her age, they liked helping their mothers (or big sister in Wendy's case) with baking in the kitchen with the hopes that they would get the remaining cake batter from the bowls.

"Umm…Wendy. Laxus's birthday isn't for 3 more days. The cake needs to be fresh" said Lucy. This put a dent in Wendy's plan to get some free cake batter as she would now have to wait a few days, as Lucy wasn't going to make it until the day of Laxus's birthday so that she could give it to him fresh.

In a shady building, somewhere in the dark alleyways of the Leaf, around 40 civilians had gathered together for a meeting. After a few minutes of waiting in a crowded audience chamber, one of them stood up and proceeded to the podium. "I hereby call this meeting of the Committee of Concerned Citizens Regarding Demon Affairs in The Leaf to attention" announced the person at the podium. "Unless any of you have any matters you wish to share, I would like to proceed with the preparations for this year's Demon Hunt. This will finally be the year where we finish off the 'Demon Brat' and fulfil what the fourth Hokage had set out to do."

* * *

 **Hopefully I'm not overdoing it with the Catch Tora Mission. Any ways, reviews and comments are appreciated.**


	30. Happy Birthday Laxus or not?

**I do not own Naruto or fairy tail and the first person to comment will be dedicated.**

* * *

The day was October 10. It was the day of the anniversary of the day when the Fourth Hokage sacrificed himself to save the village from the wrath of the Nine-tails. On this day, the entire village celebrated the Nine-tails' destruction and the service that the Fourth Hokage gave to this village. It was a joyous day, filled with cheers, festivities, and fun. However, for one person in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, October 10 was the worst day out of the year. This person was Laxus Dreyar.

Today was Laxus's birthday, they day he would turn twelve. Today should be a happy day for him. Today should be a day of celebration. However, for the past 6 years, since the first time he actually participated in the festivities of the day, the day of October 10 was a day of fear and hiding. Now, the villagers had never been fond of Laxus, in fact they hated him; however, he could usually tolerate this as they normally just looked down on him with scorn and hatred. Usually, these were just looks and he would not be in any sort of danger. This day was different. He had first attended the festivities of the day when he was 6. For the week, he was in the ICU wing of the hospital (the injuries he sustained would have put a normal person in the ICU for months; however, Laxus's increased healing factor helped out). The next five years were not too much better. While he had not been admitted to the hospital, the villagers would pick this day in particular to hunt him down and try to kill him before the ANBU could arrive to save him. He never understood why. Why did they hate him so much? Why did they want to kill him? Why did they always refer to him as that 'Demon Brat'? It wasn't until recently that he found out why…the Fourth Hokage never killed the Nine-tails and in fact sealed the Nine-tails inside Laxus. Laxus knew the Nine-tails never meant to harm the village, but the villagers didn't know that and they would probably never understand.

* * *

Laxus had gotten up early in the morning and was preparing himself for the upcoming day. He had to get out of his apartment quick and go find some place on the outskirts of the village so that the villagers wouldn't find him and he would be able to perhaps get in some training. This was the only thing about today that Laxus was looking forward to…an entire day of training with no one to bother him, hopefully. However, there was one more thing that he found himself enjoying about this day in particular. It was on this day, about 4 years ago that he found out that there is actually someone in the village that cares enough for him. Four years ago, he found a wrapped gift card to his favorite place, Ichiraku, tucked underneath his door. At first, he thought it was the village playing a joke on him, getting his hopes up by giving him an empty gift card. However, he soon realized that card had enough on it for practically a month's worth of ramen. He was ecstatic. The next year, another present was left by his door. This time, it was Gama, the frog wallet that he had looked at in the store for days on end. It was wrapped the same way as the gift card was, hinting that it was from the same person. The following year, wrapped the same way, was a box containing his signature orange jacket. Again, this had been something that he had wanted for weeks before his birthday, but he had never been able to afford it. He asked the Old Man, the Third Hokage, who was one of the very few who actually cared for Laxus, if he had gotten him the jacket. The Third Hokage indicated that it wasn't him. This only made Laxus happier, knowing that there was actually someone else in the village who cared. Last year was just as good. He got the pair of goggles that he had desperately wanted, which were again too expensive for him. While he no longer wore the goggles, replaced by his Leaf headband, he had a special place for them on his shelf. His only regret is that he didn't know who it was that had given him these presents so that he could thank them properly.

Laxus was just about ready to head out when he heard a knock on his door. He was cautious as a knock on his door today was usually proceeded by a loud crash of the door being smashed in and an angry mob chasing after him. However, a familiar voice that he trusted followed the knock. "Laxus, are you in there?" Laxus opened the door to reveal Kakashi-sensei.

"Kakashi-sensei, what are you doing here?" asked Laxus.

"Just thought I'd stop by and wish you a happy birthday. And to give you these." Kakashi handed Laxus a pack of twenty coupons for a free bowl of Ichiraku. "I'm sorry to say that I wasn't really sure what else to give you."

Laxus smiled at his sensei's present. "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei" said Laxus. However, these were not wrapped like the presents from the past years and Kakashi's laziness proceeded him as the coupons had been slightly crumpled in his back pouch, while they were still a present and they were still valid, he could tell that Kakashi was not the person that had been giving him gifts all these years. Before leaving, Kakashi informed Laxus that Iruka wanted to meet up with him later for dinner. Iruka-sensei was one of the other few in the village who Laxus could truly trust on this day. Laxus took off for training ground 40, located on the outskirts of Leaf, and off-limits to civilians. It was here that he was hoping to get some time by himself, at least until Iruka wanted to meet up with him. Iruka had told Kakashi to pass onto Laxus to meet him inside the Hokage tower at around 8 and he would bring Ichiraku take-out. This was fine for Laxus as the Hokage tower was actually one of the most secure buildings in the village and the shinobi population wasn't the ones behind the numerous lynch mobs that he had to evade every year on this day.

* * *

Before leaving, Laxus transformed, learning long ago that it wasn't safe for him to look like Laxus while traveling through the village today. For some reason, he transformed himself into Freed and took off. He was doing fine. No angry mobs, no distractions, and he was almost out of the actual village portion of Leaf. Once he reached the training grounds, it would be smooth sailing. However, he hit a bump when Evergreen spotted him and took off after him, thinking that he was actually Freed and wanted to set up a date between Freed and Mira. Laxus was trying to lose her, not wanting any unwanted attention for today. It was unfortunate that his path took him through training ground 9, where the real Freed was training with Bickslow. Also, Laxus wasn't watching where he was going and crashed into Freed causing Bickslow to laugh at the two. Evergreen just stood there, looking at the pile of Freeds. One of them dispersed, revealing it to be Laxus and Evergreen was confused that Laxus had transformed into Freed, knowing that while the two have been getting along better they still disliked each other.

"Laxus?" Asked Evergreen. Freed wasn't pleased either that Laxus had transformed into him. Bickslow…. just found the situation hilarious.

Laxus let out a slight gulp thinking Evergreen was mad. "Evergreen , please you don't understand" said Laxus.

"Laxus calm down I'm not mad I just want to know what your doing" she said.

"ok ok just keep it down" begged Laxus. Gaining the attention and worry of his teammates

"Is everything okay" said Freed surprising his teammate.

"I mean something is different about you today. You seems completely on edge, like your worried about something" explained Freed..

Laxus took a deep breath and let out a slight sigh of relief. "You know what today is, don't you?" asked Laxus. "It's the day where the entire village celebrates the Fourth Hokage's defeat over the Nine-tails. However, because of my…well, condition, many of the villagers choose today to hunt me down and try to kill me."

The faces of Laxus's teammates froze with horror. Laxus explained the first time he went to the festival that was held in the evening and how he ended up in the ICU for weeks. "I was taking Freed's appearance so I could get to the training grounds on the outskirts of the village and away from the villagers for today" explained Laxus.

* * *

Evergreen regretted asking at him and Freed just nodded and Bickslow wondered why Laxus didn't tell him sooner, the three Laxus be on his way towards the training ground he was planning on staking out for the day. "So Freed, I have a friend that doesn't have a date do you want to go to the festival later tonight?" Evergreen asked, trying to get Freed to go out on a date with Mira by going to the annual festival that was scheduled for later that evening.

Freed gave Evergreen a suspicious look "who the friend?", undeterred Evergreen replied that it was Mira.

"Tell her I'll pick her up a 7." Freed replied simple and turned away before he saw Evergreen's and Bickslow's smug faces and went to go meet up with Kakashi. Kakashi had arranged to train him today to control the cat Freed could summon as he couldn't be summoning THAT demon ever time he wanted to summon a cat. After all, even the jonin senseis never enjoyed being stuck with the infamous 'Capture Tora' mission.

* * *

 _"Today's the day. Today's the day I finally let Laxus know there is someone in this village that cares for him"_ thought Lucy as she traveled through the village carrying the necessary ingredients she needed for Laxus's very first birthday cake (or at least she hoped it was his first). She made her way to the compound where Wendy was impatiently waiting for her. This was her opportunity for some free cake batter, and no self-respecting eight year old was going to pass this up.

Wendy began the preparations for making the cake. The first thing that needed to be done was the pan design. She had gotten a special kit a few years ago that allowed her to create custom pan shapes and she went ahead assembling it. The cake itself wasn't that large as she planned on making a double-layered cake and the kit only had so many pieces. At least from her experience, the perfect amount of layers on a cake was two. Not enough and the cake wasn't as filling while too many and there was an increased chance of the cake falling apart. The second step to making the cake was deciding the shape of the cake. She plans on making a large two layered cake. She opted to go with the more traditional white cake as she still wasn't sure on Laxus's preferences, despite stalk…following him all these years. The fourth thing that needed to be decided was the type of icing to use. To her, it had to be a butter cream type as it was simply the best and nothing compared to it. The last and final touches on the cake were the most important. This was the decorations on the cake. It couldn't be too plain, nor could it be too much over the top. The look of the cake was just as important as the taste. The two factors had to balance with one another perfectly or the entire cake itself was ruined.

After all her planning was done, Lucy , with the help of her younger sister, took to beginning the cake. Directly after the ingredients were mixed together, Lucy was called into the other room by her father. The bowl of delicious cake batter was way too much for Wendy to resist, and without anyone to stop her, she quickly went to work.

* * *

Laxus was jumping through the trees. He was only a few more hops away from his desired training location. He let out a sigh of relief as he discovered that no one was there when he had arrived. The first hour of his personal training session was nothing more than a series of warm-ups and katas that he was performing with a clone. In a few past meetings, Kakashi-sensei had suggested that Laxus should try to refine his taijutsu as it was still rather sloppy, despite taijutsu being one of his better subjects in the academy. He had been given a book on basic taijutsu practices from Kakashi and he figured it wouldn't hurt for him to go through it.

Afterwards, he proceeded to a bit of weapons training and this was what he was looking forward to. Jiraiya had mentioned that the wind Jutsu he had learned, the Wind Style: Gale Palm, worked well in conjunction with projectiles, helping to propel them forward at an increased velocity. This took up about two more hours of his training as he worked on getting the Jutsu off quick enough to be of use in increasing the speed of projectiles. It was going to be difficult for him to throw the shuriken himself and cast the Jutsu before the kunai and shuriken made contact. However, he was quickly finding that if a clone was the one doing the Jutsu, he could manage to make the jutsu effective. Next step would be to add that in with his Shadow Shuriken Clone Jutsu; however, that would have to wait as he heard someone jump down behind him. Laxus feared that someone had found him, in particular someone who was a part of Leaf's Annual Demon Hunt™.

* * *

Somewhere in the village, a crowd of roughly 100 villagers had assembled; knives, swords, pitchforks, and anything sharp at hand. This was the year that they finished what the Fourth Hokage had begun 12 years ago. This was the year they were finally going to rid the village of the 'Demon Brat'.

Unfortunately for the patrons wielding pitchforks and larger weapons they were forced to trade them in for much smaller knives as they couldn't go marching around with pitchforks and torches waving through the air. That would draw too much attention to the ANBU, even if they would have received the support of most of the civilian population. Besides, pitchforks were out-dated, belonging in the era of the old black-and-white monster movies.

It was nearly time. The group of villagers participating in this year's demon hunt would break up into teams of four and scour the village for him. One found, the remaining teams would be notified and they would swarm the location, finally putting an end to the menace that had plagued their village for the past twelve years. There was only one thing left to do. All the villagers gather 1000ryo each and put it into a pot. The one who delivered the finishing blow to the demon child would receive the 100,000ryo that was gathered by the group. Of course, the purse was nearing 1,000,000ryo as the pots from the previous years carried over.

* * *

"Yo"

"Gah! Pervy Sage!" shouted Laxus, realizing who it was who had jumped down behind him. "Don't scare me like that."

"Oh, sorry. I guess this day in particular must have you on edge" said Jiraiya. Laxus decided now would be a good time to take a break as Jiraiya began to unpack some food from his pack. The two sat down underneath a tree and enjoyed their lunch together. Shortly after, Jiraiya reached into his pack and pulled out three wrapped objects, handing them to Laxus.

"Huh? What are these?" asked Laxus.

"Just a little something to say happy birthday. Even you deserve that much" said Jiraiya. Besides Jiraiya, The Old Man, his mysterious admirer, Iruka-sensei, and Kakashi-sensei had so far been the only ones to acknowledge his birthday. Laxus didn't know what to expect as he sat there staring at the wrapped presents, almost like he was analyzing them. "Huh? What's the matter Laxus?"

"It's just…nothing" said Laxus. Jiraiya could tell that he probably wasn't used to getting presents. In reality, Laxus was examining the packages. They weren't wrapped that well and Jiraiya apologized, never being that good at wrapping gifts. That meant Jiraiya wasn't the unknown gift-giver. Regardless, Laxus thanked his teacher and began opening the presents. The first one turned out to be a Jutsu scroll and Jiraiya told him that he should begin working on that Jutsu next in his wind-nature training. Opening the scroll it read Futon: Whirlwind Fist. After further examining the technique, he discovered that this was a high C-rank technique that encased his fists in a swirling wind, blasting the opponent back upon impact. The second present was a pair of kunai. However, these weren't ordinary kunai. Laxus stared in awe as he saw that these kunai were three pronged. He had never seen anything like these and the felt different from ordinary kunai. They were more dense and sharper. Jiraiya told Laxus to channel some of his wind-natured chakra into the kunai. Laxus did as Jiraiya said and he saw a bluish-white chakra blade extend from the blade of the knife.

"Pervy sage? What are these?" asked Laxus, both curious and amazed.

"Those are special kunai composed of a metal that channels chakra easy. They also take on the property of the chakra channeled through them" explained Jiraiya as he picked up the other knife and channeled some of his fire chakra into the knife. The knife began to glow a deep red and even whitish color. Being the curious kid he was, Laxus actually proceeded to touch Jiraiya's blade only to burn himself. Jiraiya laughed at Laxus trying to cool off his hand. "With your wind chakra in particular, an extended and sharpened blade is created. Why don't you see and cut through that tree with one of those." Jiraiya pointed to a tree, a little over a foot in diameter and Laxus stared in disbelief. How could a simple knife cut through a tree in a single blow?

Laxus proceeded to the tree and focused some wind chakra into his blade, aimed for the tree and swung. A small cut was made in the tree, but it looked as if nothing else had happened. "See, you can't cut through a tree with just a knife, no matter how cool it looks." Laxus spoke too soon as he was forced to avoid a tree that was falling directly where he was standing, giving both Jiraiya and the Nine-tails a laugh.

After some more admiring of those knives, Jiraiya explained to be careful with those. They weren't ordinary kunai and were expensive. They weren't meant to be disposable like ordinary kunai. Laxus proceeded to the final package. It was rectangular in shape and about the size of a book. Thoughts on what it was were going through Laxus's head and he was hoping it wasn't what he was thinking. Jiraiya got a devious smile on his face. Laxus carefully opened the package. It was what he had feared as he read the title…'Icha Icha Paradise'. Laxus nearly faulted as the Fox burst out in laughter.

"What the hell is this, you old pervert?! I'm not into this kind of stuff. I've already had the unfortunate pleasure of seeing Kakashi read this dirty book and if you think you're going to turn e into a pervert, you're mistaking!" shouted Laxus, completely forgetting that he was there so no one would find him. Jiraiya couldn't stop laughing and let the joke go on for awhile before removing the dirt cover on the book. The book enclosed by the cover was entitled 'The Tale of a Gutsy Ninja'. "Huh, what's this?"

"That is my first book, and don't worry this isn't an adult novel. I wrote this before I became an author of the Icha Icha series but to be honest it didn't sell too well. However, I actually feel you might like this, besides there is something about this book that might interest you. Laxus was intrigued and took a look at the first page, and much to his surprise there was something about this book that interested him…the main character's name was Naruto aka Fishcake.

"Perv Sage…Thank you" was all Laxus could get out.

"No need to worry. It is your birthday after all" said Jiraiya. "Now, Tsunade said she had something for you as well, but she's going to be busy all day with paperwork so I wouldn't stop by until later."

"Ok. I'll stop by after I get ramen with Iruka-sensei then" said Laxus.

* * *

Jiraiya stayed with Laxus and supervised his training for few hours. In reality, he was busy writing…something about getting the next Icha Icha to the publisher in the next month. Throughout the rest of the afternoon, there were a few thoughts going through his head. Pervy Sage, Kakashi-sensei, Iruka-sensei, and Tsunade all cared about his birthday, not to mention the Ichiraku's who had designed a special bowl of ramen just for him on this day. Would anyone else? His team? The other members of the Rookie 9? Lucy ? That last name concerned him the most. Out of anyone he could think of, her name had the biggest impact on him. Would she care?

* * *

Later that evening, Laxus snuck back into the village to the Ichiraku's. Iruka had failed at getting a secure room inside the Hokage tower, but Teuchi and Ayame had agreed to let them eat in private inside the house portion of their shop. Laxus transformed himself, this time into someone who wouldn't get every fan-girl's attention. He transformed himself this time into Shizune; after all, who would attack the Hokage's assistant. The trip to Ichiraku's was smooth and he got there without drawing any attention. After letting Teuchi know who it was, he was let inside where Iruka had just arrived a few minutes before. Iruka however, had a friend with him. Fortunately for Laxus, this was one friend that was just that…a friend.

"Hey Romeo, whacha doing here?" asked Laxus.

"Iruka-sensei told me it was your birthday and I asked him if I could come wish you a happy birthday" replied Romeo. "Besides, it beats walking around the village being called the 'Honorable Grandson' by everyone in the village."

 _"Don't blame him"_ thought Laxus. Laxus hadn't seen Iruka-sensei or Romeo in awhile so there was lots to talk about, including his little adventure to bring Tsunade back and the new stuff he learned. Iruka was impressed that Laxus had already begun training with the wind element, making Romeo's desire to learn cool Jutsu such as that even greater. Iruka was going to have a handful with this next generation Laxus, as some had dubbed Romeo. Romeo had picked up Laxus's mantle of prank master after Laxus had left the academy. Of course, Romeo's pranks were nothing compared to Laxus, but he was still young.

After awhile, Teuchi and Ayame closed shop and joined them, not that they didn't see enough of Laxus already. It was getting late and Laxus figured he had better go see Grandma Tsunade before it got too late. Before he could reach the door, Iruka caught him and placed his hand on Laxus's shoulder. "Laxus, I have a bad feeling. I'm coming too, but we need to get to the tower quick" said Iruka. Laxus nodded, knowing what Iruka was hinting towards. Romeo on the other hand, didn't have a clue. Iruka told him to trust in his sensei and Laxus transformed into Shizune as the two exited the Ichiraku's.

* * *

Camped outside the Ichiraku's was a group of this year's Demon Hunt. They had seen Shizune enter the ramen-makers' home and that would have been alright…if it hadn't been for the real Shizune passing by them just a few minutes past. These villagers knew this was one of Laxus's favorite spots in the village and figured he would show up here eventually. With 'Shizune' entering the house in the back and the real Shizune passing them a few moments later without any sign of the Shizune inside the house leaving, they deduced that the Shizune inside the house was in fact the 'Demon Brat'. Seeing this, they notified the rest of the lynch mod and positions were taken up surrounding the house.

* * *

Suddenly, what they had been waiting for came walking out of the door. Despite standing next to Iruka, there was Shizune, or the 'Demon Brat'. The villager picked up a rather large stone and tossed it towards Laxus, hitting the transformed ninja in the face and dispelling the transformation.

"Oww! What was that fo…" Laxus trailed off as he opened his eyes to see about two dozen villagers in front of him, killing intent spilling out from the very core of their souls and blades in hand.

"Shit…" swore Laxus.

 **"Kit…RUN!"** advised Kurama. He couldn't fight the villagers as hurting them would only make them see him as more of a demon. No, he had to get to the tower. He would be safe with Grandma Tsunade, and hopefully Jiraiya was there as well.

One of the villagers couldn't take it anymore and jumped at Laxus, only to be smashed in the face by a large frying pan. "What the hell are you doing?" screamed Teuchi, coming to Laxus's rescue. "This is the kid that kept you safe. You're going to go against the will of the Fourth Hokage?"

"No, I'm here to finish what the Fourth Hokage started. This village has been plagued by this monster long enough!" shouted one of the villagers, who had clearly lost it.

"Laxus, go with Iruka and get to the tower. I'll hold them off as long as I can" said Teuchi.

"Teuchi…" Laxus trailed off.

"Go!" shouted Teuchi as the crowd rushed him. Laxus and Iruka make their way towards the tower, pretty much running for dear life.

 _"Please be alright Teuchi"_ thought Laxus as he and Iruka raced along rooftops and through alleyway. At every turn, they encountered a few more villagers, intending to corner and end Laxus. Both Iruka and Laxus knew they wouldn't get there before the mobs closed them in. Iruka did what he had to in order to ensure the boy he had begun to look at as a brother made it to the Hokage safely.

"Iruka-sensei! What are you doing?" shouted Laxus as Iruka charged forward, creating an opening in the dozen or so villagers that were forming a wall in front of them.

"Just go! I'll catch up!" shouted Iruka. Laxus hesitated a little at first but knew that Iruka was only doing this for him. Laxus took off towards the tower, sprinting at full speed. As such, he didn't notice the final lines of defense the mobs had set. Before he knew it, one of the mob's traps had tripped him, sending him from the rooftops into an alleyway full of trash.

Laxus recovered as quickly as he could, but it was too late. A crowd of at least three dozen villagers had gathered around him, trapping him in the ally. One of the villagers stepped forward. "A fitting place for a worthless piece of trash like you to die…Demon."

* * *

 **Sooo yeah...yikes. It seems the village has finally snapped. Figured I would work on adding cliffhangers to my work so hope you enjoyed.**

 **What's going to happen to Laxus? How about Teuchi and Iruka? What about Freed and Mira's date.**

 **Reviews and Comments are greatly appreciated**


	31. Love confession

**Disclaimer I do not own Naruto or fairy tail and the first person to comment will be dedicated. This chapter is dedicated to AnimeKing211**

 **An: Bold will also from now on be for pissed Tsunade**

* * *

It was late at night and the festivities had already begun for this year's annual festival, celebrating the sacrifices the Fourth Hokage made to keep this village safe, twelve years ago. Walking through the crowds was an blond hair Hyuga, looking for a particular blonde that had not been seen all day. She had just finished up the present that she had been working all morning. She would have had it finished sooner, but she hit an…unexpected speed bump by the name of Wendy.

* * *

*Flashback

"Wendy!" shouted Lucy, or at least as loud as was possible for Lucy.

Lucy looked up from the large batter bowl that her face had been buried in. The evidence of her crime could be seen all over her face. Wendy could have been mistaken for an Akimichi at that point in time. "What's wrong big sister?" asked the younger Hyuga, trying to act all innocent.

"That…Did you eat all of the cake batter?" asked Lucy, starring at the empty bowl.

"Umm…No, there's still a little batter in there" responded Wendy, pointing to the small drops of batter on the side of the bowl. Lucy picked up the bowl and was almost ready to cry as her work had been wasted just like that.

Hiashi entered the kitchen to see what the fuss was about after hearing Lucy's shriek. It didn't take a genius to see what had happened as Lucy was on her knees on the verge of crying, holding an empty bowl, with Wendy sitting on the counter with batter all over her face and a satisfied smile on her face.

"Wendy, it's time for training" called out Hiashi. He was well aware of what Lucy was doing and figure this would give her a second chance at making Laxus's cake…this time without Wendy's interfering. Besides, this was his punishment towards Wendy for not being more considerate. Have you ever tried training on a belly full of raw cake batter?

Hanabi tried to argue but it was no use against her father. Before leaving the room, Hiashi turned and gave his older daughter a smile, receiving one back from Lucy. She quickly went back to work starting over making the cake. By early afternoon, the cake was baking in the oven and she was able to start the decorating only two hours later.

*End Flashback*

* * *

Lucy was walking through town with the cake in a box that she had on her back. She had asked the bake shop just down the street from the Hyuga compound that she normally visited and they were glad to loan out one of their delivery boxes to their best customer.

Initially, she was calm and happy, getting to see Laxus for the first time in days; however as time passed, she realized that she was going to be seeing Laxus. Quickly, the shy and nervous Lucy began to return as she became hesitant about actually going through. Perhaps she should wait for next year to tell him that she was his mysterious admirer. Those doubts were quickly shot down when she saw the exact person she was thinking of dart past her. However, this wasn't a casual run. This wasn't even how Laxus would run after he pranked the entire ANBU HQ. No, this time, Laxus was running for dear life as a crowd of around 20 villagers followed in pursuit wielding knives and screaming for the 'Demon Brat' to die.

Sadly, she knew what was going on. Every year, the lynch mob came by the Hyuga compound asking for the Hyuga's help in tracking down Laxus. Each year, the Hyuga's declined, thankfully. Having the Byakugan at their disposal would have done wonders for the mob.

"No…they found him this year" she said quietly to herself. She had felt relieved when every year she heard the disappointment from the mob, not even getting a sighting on him, but it appears as if this year they had managed to track him down and there was simply one thing on their mind…blood.

Lucy took to the rooftops in pursuit of her crush, hoping there was something she would be able to do to help him. Looking on, Laxus was gaining ground as he made his way towards the Hokage tower. _"Go Laxus, you'll be safe there"_ she thought to herself. However, her Byakugan saw it. The villagers had set up a line of defenses between Laxus and the tower and unfortunaly, he got caught up in one of their traps, tumbling to the ground and crashing head first into a dumpster. "LAXUS!" she shouted. If anyone was around, they would be shocked that the shy little Hyuga could actually scream that loud. Lucy bolted off towards where Laxus was, hoping it wasn't too late.

Laxus was racing towards the tower. Everything seemed to be going fine…that is until he ran into one of the mob's trip-wires they had set up. This sent him tumbling into the alley below and into a pile of trash. Picking himself out of the trash, Laxus looked up to see what he had not been hoping to see. Laxus was surrounded by approximately 40-50 members of the lynch mob with the rest of the villagers just watching. The remaining members of the mob were beginning to make their way to the location where he had been trapped.

"What a fitting place for the demon that has plagued our village for so long to meet his end" said one of the villagers as he stepped forward. A few more joined Laxus until about 6 of them were charging for Laxus, knives at the ready and the death of 'Demon Brat' being the only thing on their mind.

"Shit!" was all Laxus could say.

 **"Damn kit. I didn't want it to come to this but…huh?"** said Kurama as he sensed another presence enter the fray. He was just about ready to pump Laxus full of his chakra, hoping that would be enough to fend off the attackers. That was the last thing that he wanted to do as it would have only given the mob more reason to believe that he actually was the Nine-tail.

"Protection of the Eight Trigrams!"

The attackers were forced back into the crowd. The wind chakra digging deep into them, causing some severe cuts on their arms and torsos.

Laxus opened his eyes, wondering why he hadn't been stabbed yet. To his surprise, there was someone standing between him and the attackers, taking a defensive position. Lucy had come to his rescue.

"L-ucy?" said a surprised Laxus. "W-what are you doing here?"

"I came to save you" she said, all nervousness gone from her voice as her determination to protect the person most precious to her overtook her.

A few of the mob stepped forward, growling in anger that they had hit a wall in their attempt to kill Laxus. "Go away Hyuga, you had your chance to join us. Now that we found this Thing, we don't need those eyes of yours" said one of the villagers.

"I'm not here to help you. I'm here to protect the one that's most precious to me!" declared Lucy.

A few of the villagers paused for a moment, the burst into a fit of laughter. "Isn't that sweet. The Hyuga princess has fallen in love with the Demon" taunted one of them.

"Love?!" said a surprised Laxus as it finally hit him.

Lucy took a deep breath. It was now or never. "Yes Laxus. I love you. I have always loved you. Ever since that day when you stood up for me in front of those bullies."

Two thugs stepped forward and drew their knives. "Pfft. Looks like we'll be doing you a favor. Anyone who thinks they could love a Demon deserves to die just like that piece of trash!" said one of the thugs. He then thought for a minute. "Do you even know why he is the piece of trash he is?"

"Yes! I know why HE IS the greatest person in this village. He has sacrificed himself all these years to keep you safe and all you've done is repaid him with neglect and hatred" responded Lucy.

"Well, then. Since you know, I have no regret killing you now if you still choose to stand with the Demon." The two thugs charged for Lucy. One of them was going to run her through while the other made a break for the Demon.

For Laxus instead of being afraid on this day he was angered. Faster than Laxus knew he could go he ran to the man attacking Lucy and punched him in the head so hard not only did the man's skull cave in but he flew right into the other man. "YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HER!" shouted Laxus finally having enough of not only of his treatment by the villagers but of Lucy's. Wanting to help Lucy assumed the Eight Trigrams stance.

"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms!" she called out as all 64 strikes hit another man's Chakra points. He crumbled to the ground, unable to move. This was not the failure of a clan heir that most of these villagers knew. This Lucy that they were facing now could easily give the Hyuga prodigy, Neji, a run for his money.

The mob had but one option left…an all out assault on the pair. One of the villagers led the charge as the rest followed. This was it. Not even Lucy's Protection of the Eight Trigrams could fend off nearly 100 angry villagers forever.

"Boom!" The entire village shook and the building crumbled to the ground. When the dust settled, the villagers had stopped in their tracks to see who had now arrived on scene. The first thing they saw was the mangled corpse of the lead villager, his entire back smashed in and lying in about a five-foot deep crater. The villagers froze in fear as they were now facing something more terrifying than the Nine-tails itself.

 **"What the hell do you think you are doing, mindlessly attacking shinobi of this village?!"** shouted Tsunade. She was pissed. No, she was more than pissed. The amount of killing intent that she was letting off would have been enough to send the Nine-tails cowering with all nine tails tucked between his legs and she was probably holding some back to prevent most of the villagers from dropping over dead before she could get some sort of twisted explanation out of them. "What's worse is you're actually trying to kill them!"

"L-l-lady-H-hokage" some of the mob stuttered out, realizing they were now in deep shit. "N-nothing, w-we were just…"

"Just cut the crap you worthless piece of trash! I know what you were trying to do!" she shouted. One of the villagers was stupid enough to use this opportunity to sneak up behind them, hoping to stab Laxus in the back. He felt something slimy wrap itself around his neck as he tried to let out a scream. On the rooftops above the scene, a little over two dozen ANBU had arrived on scene, including Kakashi.

"Grandma Tsunade!" shouted Laxus, extremely happy to see her.

Tsunade turned towards Laxus and Lucy, who was standing next to Laxus ready to fight. "Oh and happy birthday brat!" said Tsunade with a cheerful voice and facial expression. As quickly as it changed before, her mood did a complete 180 again. The villagers took a slight step forward, seeing Tsunade's slight distraction however they were stopped when she turned back to them, slamming her fist into the wall next to them and burying most of the mob in rubble. "Now, are you going to admit to breaking the Third Hokage's laws about harming Laxus or do I need to let Ibiki and Anko have their way with you?"

"We did nothing wrong Lady Hokage" defended one of the villagers.

"Oh really?" said Jiraiya, stepping out from the shadows with that one villager caught by one of his toads. "Now surely you were up to something. After all, you don't want to end up like this guy." Jiraiya turned to the man his toad had captured. He placed two fingers on the middle of the man's forehead and made a quick hand seal. "Ninja art: Toad Transformation!" With a puff of smoke, he transformed the man into a little green toad, causing some of the villagers to scream out in horror.

"We're sorry Hokage-sama. W-we p-promise w-w-e'll behave" begged a few of the villagers. Some of the more hardened villagers kept their resolve, determined to let the Hokage know their disliking of her handling (more like pampering) of Laxus.

"Can it! ANBU, take these traitors away!" ordered Tsunade. "And summon Ibiki and Anko to get whatever info out of them regarding this…lynching."

Jiraiya walked up behind Laxus and Lucy and placed his hands on their shoulders. "Pervy Sage!" shouted Laxus. Never had he been so happy to see his perverted teacher. Kakashi jumped down in front of them.

"Laxus, are you alright?" he asked.

"I am now. Thanks to everyone. Especially you Lucy" said Laxus, causing the Hyuga to blush. He wanted to ask her something regarding what she had just said moments ago, but this wasn't the place for said questions.

"You should also thank Romeo" said Jiraiya, pointing to the roof behind him. "He was the one that came and got us." Laxus looked up to see a smiling Romeo.

* * *

At the tower, Laxus was inside Tsunade's office with Lucy. Tsunade figured it was best he stay in the tower for a few days, at least until it settled down.

"Hey Lucy…about back there…what you said…did you…did you mean it?" asked Laxus, referring to Lucy's little confession to the villagers.

Lucy shot straight up and turned red. That boost of confidence that she had back there had left her after Tsunade had intervened. _"Come on Lucy, just say it. Tell him you meant it. This could be your chance to finally get him. Use the package, it will help"_ she thought to herself, trying to gather up every ounce of courage she had to confront Laxus. She took a deep breath and jumped off of the couch to grab the package she had been carrying. Surprisingly, it was unscathed. She walked over to Laxus and pulled out a box that Laxus recognized. It was a wrapped box, just like the ones he had received for the past four years from his 'mysterious' admirer. It was neatly wrapped and had the same white paper with lavender swirls that the presents from before had. Lucy was his admirer. "Yes, I meant every word and more. I do love you."

Laxus stood in awe at what had just occurred. No one had ever told him that before. I mean sure, he could tell what love was and that there were people in the village who loved him, like Iruka-sensei and the Ichirakus, but no one had ever said it directly to him before. Over the past months, he had been developing some sort of feelings for Lucy, but he had never been so sure what they were…until now. _"Is this a dream? Did one of the mob actually get to me and I'm dying? Someone pinch me, wait…don't…Ouch! What was that for you damn Fox!"_

 **"Haha, you asked for it Kit, but no, you are not dreaming. Now leave me alone and go to your little vixen"** said Kurama.

"L-Laxus?" said Lucy. Not seeing any reaction from Laxus, she began to worry. _"Oh no. He's not responding. Does this mean he doesn't like me? What do I…eep!"_

Before Lucy could say anything, Laxus was embracing her and crying as she blushed a light, but warm shade of red. "Lucy, thank you" he said. "You have no idea what that means. Thank you for everything!" Lucy didn't want it to end, but Laxus let go. However, it didn't stop there. Laxus took one look at Lucy and their eyes connected.

Lucy's heart just about stopped as she was realizing what was happening. She had been fanaticizing about this moment for years. _"Oh my god! Stay conscious. Don't faint. This is it"_ was going through her head. She was trying her very hardest to keep herself conscious. Laxus and Lucy began to inch closer to one another, eyes slowly closing as they prepared for their lips to embrace one another. And then it happened. Lucy's dream had just come true as she felt Laxus's lips press against hers. They were a little rough, but warm and soothing at the same time.

Laxus felt them, Lucy's lips press against hers. Warm, moist, and soft. Back in the academy, he had dreamed of getting a kiss like this, but he could never imagine it feeling this good. And it was from Lucy. Perhaps if he hadn't been so oblivious back then.

Suddenly, the door to the office opened as they were mid kiss. "Damn, I swear, even when I'm not the target of her frustration, she still finds a reason to punch m…" said Jiraiya walking into the office. He stopped mid-sentence after seeing Laxus and Lucy scramble to get apart from one another. Lucy went completely red as the room temperature rose a few degrees from the heat she was emitting due to this embarrassment. Her world went dark…

"Ohh, and what do we have here?" asked Jiraiya, getting a perverted look on his face.

"Gah! Stop it you old pervert!" shouted Laxus, knowing that expression all too well.

Jiraiya laughed at the blonde's reaction. At least he wasn't denying anything. His tone got less perverted. "Well, well it's about time" he said.

Laxus looked down, knowing exactly what Jiraiya was referring to. Jiraiya could obviously sense some regret in the eyes of his blonde student. "Huh? Laxus, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing. It's just all these years…I never noticed…I just. Why do I feel like I should have known? I feel like such a complete loser for not noticing her before" said Laxus as he began to piece the last pieces of the puzzle together that was the feelings he had for Lucy.

Jiraiya gave Laxus a warm smile. "Don't worry about it anymore. What matters is that I think the two of you will be very happy together. Just don't ruin it" said Jiraiya, as he slipped into pervert mode a little. "Now, if the two of you ever want to help provide me with material for my books…"

"BAM!" Jiraiya was sent sailing out of the office, leaving a gaping hole in the wall behind the Hokage's desk. Tsunade had walked into the room just as Laxus and Jiraiya were having their nice father-son-like chat, at least until it turned perverted. "Pervert!" shouted Tsunade. "Hmm, that might be a new record" Tsunade silently congratulated herself. She turned to Laxus who was just staring in awe at the hole in the wall that his teacher had just been sent through. "Now you're not going to do anything that old pervert would do, now will you?"

"No, not me. I'm not a pervert, Grand…Lady Hokage" said Laxus, squeaking out the more formal of the names for Tsunade.

"Remember to punch Jiraiya around to scare Laxus into not referring to me as Grandma" she noted to herself. Tsunade picked up the unconscious Lucy and placed her on the couch. Tsunade took a moment to get the events of the past hour or so with the interrogation out of her head and went to her desk, pulling out a wrapped present for Laxus. "Happy birthday Laxus" she said, handing Laxus the wrapped package.

He opened up the package and saw It was a book, but not just any book. This was 'The beginners guide to making ramen. Now Laxus could make his own Ramen on the road. The only thing Laxus could say was "Thanks Grandma Tsunade!"

"I picked it up traveling and figured I would find a use for it eventually" explained Tsunade.

 _"No, don't wake up. It was such a good dream, the two of us kissing"_ thought Lucy as she began to wake. When she opened her eyes, she realized that she was in the Hokage's office with Laxus holding a book that Tsunade had obviously given him as a present. It couldn't be. She was in the same room where her 'dream' had taken place and besides the fact that she was now on the couch, it was too real. Was it real? Did she really kiss him?

After hearing a slight sound, Laxus turned to see Lucy who was slowly sitting up. He turned to her and gave her a warm smile taking a seat next to her. Laxus gave her a quick peck on the cheek, telling her enough. It was real. It had actually happened. Her blush was no longer the nervous red that it had used to be had Laxus been so close to her before. It was now more of a faint rose-colored, but warm blush. Figuring that she might actually be able to touch him in a rather romantic sense, Lucy rested her head gently on Laxus's shoulder, causing the blonde to let out a slight blush as well and smile. They had completely forgotten that Tsunade was there until a bright flash of light snapped them out of it. Jiraiya pulled himself through the hole in the wall that he had left, with a camera in hand. The two sat up straight as Jiraiya had interrupted their moment twice now.

"This had better not become a habit, Pervy Sage" said Laxus as Jiraiya let out a slight laugh. He ensured them that it wouldn't although he might try to have a little fun now and then. This received a look from Laxus, but it was Tsunade who scared him.

"Don't worry about this old pervert" assured Tsunade.

Lucy felt as if she was forgetting, shifting her glance to the side, she found her gift sitting on the table next to her. She reached over and handed it to Laxus who looked on in excitement as he had one last present for the night, the most special one in his opinion.

He opened the wrapping to reveal another box on the inside. _"Please be alright"_ thought Lucy, hoping that the cake wasn't damaged after everything that had occurred. Laxus opened the box as a warm and sweet aroma filled the room. There it was, still in perfect shape.

"This is…" said Laxus, looking at the cake in awe. It was a simple round cake outlined with streaks of lavender and gold frosting. The decoration of the cake was rather simple in nature, but it suited the cake just perfectly. Lucy had thought to design the initial cake in a Large rectangle cake , however after Wendy had her fill, she only had enough ingredients left for a much smaller round cake. Despite the setbacks, Lucy was satisfied with her work.

For Laxus, he never had a birthday cake before. He had heard the stories of how children judged their birthdays by their presents and the cake. Laxus did what anyone would do and took a small scoop of the frosting with his finger tasting it. _"Please like it, Laxus"_ thought Lucy, worrying that he might not like it.

"Oh my…" said Laxus as his eyes opened wide. He took a good look around the room.

"L-Laxus, is something wrong?" asked Lucy.

"No, just making sure Teuchi isn't here to hear me say this, but this cake might just be…no it is better than any ramen I've had" admitted Laxus. This was a HUGE victory for Lucy.

* * *

Lying in a bed in the Leaves hospital, Teuchi was getting his wounds tended to. They were nothing major, although there were a few stab wounds that he needed to get cleaned and stitched. He felt a sudden cringe in his stomach.

"Daddy, what's wrong?" asked Ayame, sitting at his side.

"Nothing, I've just got this feeling. I think it's time to start experimenting around with the ramen again" he said. Ayame sighed. The last time he did this, she remembered being covered head to toe in noodles. There were even noodles in places rather not mentioned.

* * *

Jiraiya took the cake from Laxus, much to the blonde's displeasure. However, he explained that it was customary to share the cake with those close to him. With that, he grabbed Laxus, Lucy, Shizune, Tsunade, and Kakashi from within the tower and they proceeded to the hospital to go find Iruka, Romeo, Teuchi, and Ayame. To Laxus, these people had done something special for him on this day and it was these people he wanted to share the cake with. For the first time ever, Laxus had the Happy Birthday song sang to him. The cake was passed around and Laxus got the first piece as was tradition.

He took his first bite of the cake. It tasted wonderful. He could die right now and he wouldn't care less.

 **"Hey Kit, mind letting me have a taste?"** said Kurama, laughing a bit.

Laxus sighed. It was true that Kurama had also become one of his true friends, despite everything that had happened to Laxus because of him. Laxus did his best to allow the fox a glimpse at the second piece of cake that was heading towards his mouth. As Laxus took a bite, Kurama managed to link their senses together, if only for a moment and he tasted the cake as well.

 **"Damn Kit, this is something! I'm tempted to say screw that damn contract and take you over just so I can get more of that cake before the seals kill me"** said Kurama. Laxus cringed a little.

 _"Note to self, never let the Kurama near Lucy's cooking."_

There was one other thing going through Laxus's mind. If Lucy could make a cake this good, he was wondering what she could do to a bowl of ramen.

* * *

Back in the tower, it was getting late and everyone was sitting around Tsunade's office. She had offered Laxus a room in the mansion that he could stay in for a few days while things settled down. Suddenly, a knock was heard on the door and Hiashi stepped through. He saw Lucy standing in front of him and rushed over to hug her. He had been informed by the ANBU about the events that had transpired and had been worried sick as he dragged Wendy along behind him, who was clutching her stomach in pain for some 'unknown' reason.

Jiraiya came up next to Laxus and bent down and whispered in his ear. "Laxus, while he's here, ask Hiashi for permission to date his daughter" said the Toad Sage.

"Huh? Why would I have to do that?" asked Laxus. After everything that happened in the past few hours, Laxus had been looking to finally ask Lucy on a true date, but was a little surprised at what Jiraiya was requesting he do.

"Because, it's only proper. After all, you can't just go dating her without her father's knowing. Trust me, just ask him and everything will be fine" said Jiraiya.

Laxus gulped. There was something about this man that intimidated Laxus, not to mention that there were definitely people in the village who still despised him and he was afraid that Hiashi may have been one of them, despite allowing him to train with Lucy before the finals. "Umm…Lord Hyuga…" said Laxus, trying to be as polite as possible. Hiashi turned to Laxus, wondering what it was that the boy wanted. "I would…like permission to take Lucy out on a date sometime."

Hiashi was a little taken back by this as he looked towards his sensei and down at his daughter. Lucy was also caught a little off guard by this. Laxus wanted to go out on a date with her? Nothing about this night could get any better, except if her father said yes to Laxus's request. Of course, if he said no…well…

Hiashi closed his eyes and appeared to be in deep thought. After everything that happened tonight, he was tempted to say 'no' because he feared for Lucy's safety. Not from Laxus or the beast inside him, but rather from the paranoia of the village. However, he knew that if he said 'no', this would potentially crush ALL the progress he had been making towards his daughter's development in her confidence and shinobi training. He had seen firsthand the positive effects that Laxus had on his daughter. Hiashi took a deep breath. "Alright, I will allow it."

"Huh, really?!" shouted Laxus out of excitement. Lucy couldn't believe her father if she hadn't heard him herself.

"Yes, BUT realize this" interjected Hiashi. "Lucy is the current heir to the Hyuga clan and my precious daughter. If you do anything to hurt or dishonor her, not even the Hokage will be able to save you from my wrath." Hiashi got a dark look in his eyes as he glared at Laxus, activating his Byakugan. "Do we have an understanding?"

Laxus being Laxus reaction to the threat was this. "I would never do anything to hurt or dishonest Lucy" he yelled. Lucy couldn't help herself as she embraced her father.

"Yay! Big sister's got a boyfriend" shouted Wendy, causing Lucy to turn red at this realization. Laxus was finally HER boyfriend. Wendy then began singing, causing her sister to turn an even darker shade of red. "Lucy and Laxus sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N…uhg." Her stomach really started to bother her at that point as she cringed in pain and tried to keep herself from puking all over the office.

"Huh? Wendy, is everything alright?" asked Laxus. "Oh here, try this cake, it will make you feel much better." Laxus handed Wendy one of the two remaining slices in the box. That was the last straw for her as Wendy couldn't take it anymore and she darted out of the office to find a toilet. "Huh?" Everyone looked on in confusion and Hiashi couldn't help but laugh. After all, what do you expect after eating an entire bowl of raw batter followed directly by one of Hiashi's strict training regimens?

"Jiraiya" said Tsunade, turning to her teammate. Everyone had left for the night and it was just the two sages. "How could this happen? How did the Old Man let THIS manifest to this point? They simply thought they could form a mob and try to kill him. From what I've been told, this has happened every year..why was it allowed to happen?"

Jiraiya couldn't find the answer. "I don't know. From everything I've been told, Sarutobi-sensei cared deeply for Laxus. I don't even understand how this could happen" said Jiraiya, pulling something out of his bag that Tsunade needed desperately. He placed two cups on her desk and poured them full of sake that he had been carrying in a gourd inside his bag.

"I'm going to do some investigating through sensei's records, see if I can find anything" said Tsunade. "There has to be a reason why Laxus was allowed to suffer like this."

"I'll see what I can find as well, but I think it would be a good idea if Laxus was out of the village as much as possible. At least for the next few weeks" said Jiraiya.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Tsunade. "Are you planning another trip or something and want to take him?"

"I am, but that won't be happening for some time. What I'm saying is that if the opportunity comes to assign Laxus to a mission that gets him out of the village for some time, give him that mission and make sure there are people on that team that can be trusted" said Jiraiya. "Even for Laxus, it's going to take some time to rebuild any ounce of trust that he had for the villagers. It's best if we just keep him with people he know truly for right now."

* * *

 **Author Notes:**

 **So there is the next chapter and I hope you enjoyed. As of now, Laxus and Lucy are officially a couple and I will begin to work on the next main pairing in the story (although it won't mature as fast as the Lalu one did). Hopefully the two of them finally getting together wasn't too out of it.**

 **Also, has been something going on with the Third Hokage, especially regarding Laxus and the state of things regarding Laxus in the village. I don't mean to bash him as he was one of my favorite characters, but there is no doubt he could have done more for Laxus.**

 **One last thing...what ever you do...don't piss of Tsunade. It will likely be the last thing you do.**

 **Tsunade: Exactly what does that mean?**

 **Me: It means its funny to write people trembling before you when you are angry**

 **Tsunade: Good answer keep it like that.**


	32. A Lunch date

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail and the first person to comment will be dedicated.**

* * *

It had happened so slow and then all of the sudden so fast. Laxus laid in bed, in the Hokage mansion, reflecting on the events of the previous day. Despite nearly being killed by a mob of about 100 angry villagers who had finally snapped, it was without doubt the best birthday he had ever had. It was on that day that he learned that there were people who truly cared for him: Grandma Tsunade, Kakashi-sensei, Iruka-sensei, Romeo, Teuchi and Ayame Ichiraku, and Lucy. Thinking on that last name sent a few tingles through his stomach as he recalled what Lucy had said to him yesterday. All this time, she had known. She had known the reason why the village hated and shunned him, yet she had felt the complete opposite of what most of the village had felt about him. She loved him and she shamelessly admitted her love to him while defending him from the pack of ravenous villagers. No one had ever said that to him before.

Ever since the chunin exams, Laxus had been developing something for the young Hyuga. At first, he thought it was just the two of them becoming good friends. Until last night, that's all he ever thought those feelings were. It was last night that he realized as well that the way he felt for her had changed over time as well, with most of that change occurring during the time they spent together while tracking down Tsunade. He had gotten a chance to actually get to know her better and realized that there were many things that he liked about her, from her desire to get stronger to her desire to protect those precious to her. These were a few qualities of her personality that Laxus held the highest. And then last night, it finally hit him…after all the teasing by Pervy Sage and all the pushing by Kurama referring to Lucy as his 'vixen', it dawned on him that she saw him as more than a friend and wanted them to be more than just friends. The only things that had stopped this from happening were her shyness, causing her to never come forward, and his own thick-headedness, for not noticing the hints she was giving off sooner.

Continuing with his reflection on the previous day, there was one other thing that was on his mind. He reached over to the table next to him and grabbed the blue book that Tsunade had given him as a present for his birthday. It was about the same size as the books that Kakashi had always read, yet this one wasn't filled with perverted smut. This is a book on how to make ramen. Laxus flipped through the book, looking at all the different recipes for ramen and wonder which one he should try first.

* * *

"Beep, beep, beep" went Shikamaru's alarm as he struggled to even motivate himself to turn off the alarm. However, even he knew if he didn't turn it off, it would just keep ringing. What a drag. Asuma-sensei had called an emergency team meeting that morning. So much for his plans of sleeping in on his day off.

He met up with the rest of his team at training ground 16, the official training ground of Team 10. Mira and Chouji were already there, looking impatiently at their lazy teammate. The two of them were sitting on top of training stumps as Asuma motioned for him to take a seat next to him.

"So you mind telling us what this is all about?" asked Shikamaru. "I want to go back to bed."

Asuma sighed at the enthusiasm displayed by the sole chunin of Team 10. "Last night, an incident occurred" he explained. "This incident involving two of your former classmates and also your former sensei."

"Wait, does that mean Iruka-sense?" asked Ino. Asuma nodded. "But who were our classmates?"

"It was Laxus Dreyar and Lucy Hyuga" said Asuma. No one was surprised Laxus's name had come up, but Lucy…well that was surprising. "Last night, the three of them were attacked and nearly killed by a drunken mob of civilians. The reasons behind this are still unknown, but we believe that it was due to a significant amount of alcohol and potential drugs in their system. Lady Tsunade and the medical teams are looking into it, but those have been the findings of the preliminary results."

"What?!" exclaimed Chouji. "Are they alright?"

"Laxus and Lucy are fine, just a little shaken. Iruka is in the hospital, but he had nothing more than a few minor knife wounds and a broken arm. " explained Asuma. He took a look around to his team. They appeared to be buying the cover to the real reason why Laxus was attacked. Unfortunately, this got Shikamaru thinking. Why would a mob of drunken villagers attack Laxus. Sure he could be annoying at times, but there really was no reason to. So why did the mob attack Laxus? Shikamaru would have to look further into this, but figured it would be to troublesome.

Around the teams of the Rookie 9 and Team Gai, everyone was informed of the incident that had taken place last night. The only ones who had gotten the truth was Team 7 because they already knew about the Nine-tails, and Lucy because she was directly involved in it. Everyone else, received the same version to the story that Team 10 had gotten.

Over the course of the day, Laxus had been approached by most of his friends from said teams, all wanting to see if he was alright. Sure, they looked upon Laxus as annoying and loud at times, but each and everyone had a reason why the blonde trouble maker had begun to grow on them. No one could quite understand the reason why he was attacked, but they figured they would try to comfort him at least.

Team 7 had met at their training ground after Laxus had managed to sneak away from the mansion where he had been cooped up in for the past few days. It was now two days after his birthday and this was the first time he had ventured outside the tower. Over the past few days, he had received visits from Shikamaru, Mira, Chouji, Elfman, Shino, Bickslow, Cana, Freed, Evergreen, Lucy, and a few other ninja in the village who had begun to respect the blonde. If anything, the fact that he did in fact have friends looking out for him meant a lot.

* * *

*Flashback*

He was even approached by Neji, who shocked him by apologizing for all the stuff he had done in the past to Lucy and him and that he wanted to start from the beginning to become a better person. Neji acknowledged the fact that perhaps Laxus could become Hokage, but only if he worked hard at it, which Laxus only reassured him that he would. After some talking, Laxus realized that Neji was sincere in his apologies and his new intentions and as such decided to give Neji another chance in his books. This didn't mean they were best of friends, but it was at least something to start with and gave the two a sense of new found respect towards one another. However, Laxus relived his conversation with Hiashi when Neji promised the same thing…hurt or dishonor Lucy and Laxus would be dead in an instant.

*End Flashback*

* * *

Getting back to the meeting at hand, the first order of business was to ensure that Freed had his summoning under control. Out of ten attempts summoning, Tora was thankfully not amongst the ten cats summoned. Kakashi deemed it safe for Freed to use his Jutsu in combat as he showed decent control over the cat that he wanted to summon. As it stood, the most powerful feline that Freed could summon at the moment was a lion by the name of Sora.

It was also during this meeting that Evergreen and Freed admitted to Laxus that they had no idea that two days ago was his birthday. They had not known until Kakashi had told them yesterday. Regardless, the two chipped in their money to get Laxus a late present and it was the only thing they could think of in the short notice…a gift card to Ichiraku. This was not like the card that Lucy had given him years ago, but it had enough on it for a week's worth of ramen, or at least a meal's worth for the amount Laxus ate.

They had managed to ask Laxus if he had gotten anything else and Laxus pulled out the two books he had gotten, the Jutsu scroll Jiraiya had given him and the two knives as well. Kakashi saw the knives and felt something tear at his heart. He reached back into his kunai pouch and felt around for the tri-pronged knife that his sensei had given him as a present for making jonin. He found it, but didn't take it out, not wanting to reveal anything yet. The knives that Laxus had were exactly like the ones the Fourth had used, with the exception that there were no Flying Thunder god seals on it. Laxus showed his team what was so special about the knives as he tried to channel some wind chakra into the blades. They reacted well to the chakra and a blade of wind, roughly a foot in length erupted from the knives. It wasn't a fine blade as his wind chakra wasn't fully refined, but it was fine enough to serve its purpose.

"Oh, and Pervy Sage gave me this as well" said Laxus, pulling out a Jutsu scroll. Kakashi was really wishing Laxus hadn't done that.

"So sensei, now that I have the cat summoning down, what's the next Jutsu you're going to teach me?" asked Freed.

"Yeah, come on sensei…what Justus do you have for us?" said Evergreen, butting in with Bickslow looking at Kakashi expectantly.

"What are you going to teach me, Kakashi-sensei? Is it time to learn Chidori?" asked Laxus, still not giving up on the Chidori.

"Enough!" shouted Kakashi, using Iruka's Big-Head Jutsu. He couldn't take much more of his teams constant nagging. This was one reason they didn't teach genin that many Jutsu, let alone nature manipulation. If they did, then all the genin would be going head-over-heels like his were asking for Jutsu after Jutsu. Freed was understandable, coming from the Uchiha clan where the fire nature manipulation was taught to them at a young age, but Laxus…why did he have to let Laxus go on a training trip with Jiraiya. Because of that, it only made Freed and Laxus determined to one-up the other by learning a new Jutsu. Not to mention, Evergreen and Bickslow were starting to get a little antsy as well.

Kakashi sighed, giving in to them. He turned to Sakura as she would be the more reasonable of the three. "All right, come back after lunch and I'll have something for you and Freed" said Kakashi.

"Hey! What about me?!" shouted Laxus.

"Laxus…" said Kakashi, smiling and pointing at the scroll in Laxus's hand. "You already have one."

Laxus looked at the scroll in his hand and just laughed a little.

* * *

Laxus proceeded towards the next training ground over, which was training ground 8 and the resident training ground of Team 8. The same team that Lucy was on. Arriving over at the training ground, he noticed that Team 8 was just finishing up their morning workout. He hid in the trees, figuring that he would just wait for them to finish up. After about 15 minutes of waiting, Kurenai called an end to her team's session.

"Hey Lucy, Shino and I are going to grab some lunch, you want to come?" asked Elfman.

"No…I'm fine" responded Lucy.

"All right, well then see you later" said Elfman hesitantly as he turned around and walked away. However, a glance was sent towards the tree that Laxus had been hiding out in. He wasn't the only one who noticed another presence in the tree. Team 10 wasn't a tracking team for nothing. Shino probably knew, but he didn't really say anything. Before taking off, Kurenai turned towards Lucy and just gave her a gentle smile. Now Lucy also turned towards the tree that Laxus had been hiding out in.

"Eep!" Laxus had jumped out of the tree, landing right in front of Lucy, startling her a little. "L-Laxus? What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Well, I was just wondering…well" said Laxus, finding it hard just to say a few simple words. Why was it this hard? He had asked Sakura out many times and there had always been the near guarantee of rejection, but with Lucy it was a bit harder. "Do you want to get some lunch?"

"Y-you mean l-like a date?" she said, still unsure if everything that had happened between the two of them in the past few days had been a dream or not.

"No, not LIKE a date. A date" said Laxus, causing Lucy to blush a little. "I mean, I didn't ask your father if we could date for nothing."

"S-sure, I would like that" Lucy said, letting out little smile. Now the only question was where to go. Jiraiya had told Laxus not to take Lucy to Ichiraku that much. Even though it was his favorite place, it most likely wasn't hers. But this date of theirs wasn't anything special. It was just the two of them having lunch together. He then remembered that Lucy had a rather large sweet tooth and they headed towards the dango shop, located near the middle of town.

Walking through town, Laxus still received some stares from the village that had unnerved Lucy at first, although she saw how he just simply shrugged them off and quickly went from following behind to walking along side him. However, she still held her hands in front of her like she normally did. _"Why am I still so shy around him? I told him everything the other day and he seems to like me as well. Why can't I just open up a little more around him?" Lucy thought to herself. As such, she took it upon herself to drop her hands from where they were in front of her, to her sides. Suddenly, sh_ e felt something brush up against the side of her hand and instantly went red, realizing it was Laxus's hand.

Laxus felt the same thing as well. Realizing that her hand was right next to his, he decided to try something out that he would see a lot between couples. He reached out with his hand and grabbed her hand, causing Lucy to suddenly tense up, but she relaxed and her bright-red blush turned to that warmer rose-colored blush from a few days ago.

The two enjoyed their lunch together. Laxus didn't even mind that it wasn't ramen that he was eating, besides he would stop by Ichiraku's later for dinner. At least everything was going fine until Laxus felt a chill run down his spine.

"Well well well, if it isn't the brat from the chunin exams" said a woman with purple hair, mesh shirt, and a long trench coat. She then turned her attention to the girl sitting next to Laxus, getting a grin on her face that spelt trouble. She plopped herself down opposite from them, even stealing a stick of their dango from in front of them.

"Hey! What was that for?! That wasn't yours!" objected Laxus. Anko just smiled as she engulfed the stick of dango.

"Oh relax you. Besides it's not every day that I see a new couple come in here. The two of you are dating, right?" she asked as she began her interrogation.

Both of them stiffened as Anko sent them a devious look that most of the villagers and other shinobi knew to stay away from. "Umm…well, yeah. W-we k-kind of are" replied Laxus, obviously intimidated by Anko. "Everything was going just fine, why did the creepy lady from the exams have to show?"

Anko's attention turned to Lucy. While arguing with Laxus would have been entertaining, she always enjoyed messing with a Hyuga. It was almost like a hobby of hers and she was practically considered a plague around the Hyuga compound. "So err…Lucy is it? Seems you have yourself a boyfriend now. Now tell me, why do you still wear that bulky jacket? Surely there has to be something underneath it that made this kid notice you." Lucy tensed up even more, as she desperately looked for a way out.

"Hey! Can't you see you're making her uncomfortable?!" shouted Laxus, trying to get Anko to stop.

"Oh, and what are you going to do about it hmm?" she replied. "If she's not going to say anything, maybe you will. So come on, tell me. What is she hiding underneath that bulky jacket of hers? What is she like?" Laxus could see Lucy turning even redder. It was only a matter of moments before it looked like she would explode from embarrassment. Laxus knew what she was talking about, having spent too much time around Pervy Sage already.

 _"Are all adults perverted?"_ he thought.

"Hmm, so are you going to say something? Come on, so what have the two of you done so far, you can tell me" Anko said, pushing her way closer to Laxus as he was forced to retreat back towards the wall. "Have you two kissed?" she asked. Seeing Lucy go even redder and Laxus tense up as well, she got her answer. "Oh, and how was it? Now tell me, did anything happen after that, like well…" That was it, Lucy was out as she fell into unconsciousness. Seeing this, Laxus knew he had to get away.

"Gah! Get away from me you creepy lady!" he shouted as he picked up Lucy and raced out of the shop.

"That actually went pretty well" she laughed as she claimed her prize, the plate of dango that the two had left on the table. "I'm going to have to mess with them some more. I've got a feeling they will be fun."

"Impressive, I didn't know the brat could be scared off like that" said a man stepping behind her.

Anko let out a little laugh. "You just got to know how far to push them. Now that I know, things are going to get interesting" said Anko. "So tell me, how did a kid like that convince Zabuza Momoichi, the Demon in the Hidden Mist to join Leaf?"

* * *

Laxus was running as fast as he could, wanting to get away from that crazy lady, Anko. He had an unconscious Lucy on his back. Turning a corner, he ran into something nearly as bad as Anko…Neji. What made things even worse was that Laxus couldn't stop in time and crashed into Neji, sending Neji flying back and Laxus crashing to the ground. Lucy went crashing down as well, but fortunately for her she had a soft Laxus to break her fall.

"Laxus…What's the meaning of this?" said Neji, activating his Byakugan and getting ready to beat Laxus should he answer wrong. "It's only been two days, now what have you done to Lady Lucy."

"Neji…nothing. We were just trying to get away from the crazy purple haired lady from the chunin exams" explained Laxus.

"Crazy purple haired lady…hmmm, Anko" said Neji, scanning around to make sure Anko wasn't around. When he saw that she wasn't he deactivated his Byakugan. It was at this moment that Lucy began to wake.

"L-Laxus?" she said, still lying on his back. Picking her head up, she saw her cousin. "Big brother Neji?"

"Lady Lucy, I came to find you. Your father is requesting you at home for training" informed Neji. "And shouldn't you be training as well, Laxus?"

"Well, Kakashi-sensei sort of gave us a break, and knowing him, he won't show back up at the training grounds for at least another 2 hours" explained Laxus. Lucy got up, allowing Laxus to get up as well as the two were facing each other.

"I'm sorry this little date of ours didn't go as well as I had hoped" apologized Laxus.

"N-no, it's fine. I'm just glad I got to spend some time with you" replied Lucy.

"Well, I guess I'll have to take you on a more proper date then just a lunch date" said Laxus, giving her his typical big grin. Lucy perked up at this, realizing that there was more dating ahead for the two of them. Now she wasn't wishing Kurenai had informed them of an upcoming mission…and a rather long one for that matter.

"I would like that, m-maybe when I get back from the mission we are leaving on tomorrow" said Lucy.

"Okay, how long do you think it will be?"

"Umm…Kurenai-sensei said it will be a few weeks" Lucy said, trailing off on that last part.

"What?! A few weeks?!" said a now slightly depressed Laxus. "Oh well, at least that will give me time to plan."

"Ribbit." Lucy and Laxus looked down to see a small toad that looked just like the one that Jiraiya had turned that villager from the other night into. In its mouth, it was holding two pieces of paper. Laxus pulled out the paper and the toad disappeared in a puff of smoke. These papers were obviously from Pervy Sage.

Taking a short look at the papers, a tear came to Laxus's eye as he handed one to Lucy. They were the picture that Jiraiya had taken of the two snuggling against one another on the couch in Tsunade's office. For Lucy, this had to be a dream, one that she was determined not to wake up from.

Caught up in the moments, no one realized that they were being watched by more than one party.

"Damn Laxus nice going about time you notice" along with a deep growl came from the bush where the first party was hiding out.

"Oh my, are those two really dating?" came from the roof top where the second party was hiding out. "Although, now that I think of it, they really do look cute together. I wonder if Freed and I will ever be like that...What am I thinking?"

* * *

Tsunade was shifting through papers on her desk. The mission loads were piling up and Leaf was kind of short on staff, not have fully recovering from Orochimaru's little invasion. Unfortunately, for the next few months at least, teams assigned to missions would most likely consist of mixed groups. Also, some considerations would have to be taken into account when forming teams for certain missions. For D-ranked missions, only genin would be assigned them. C-ranks would be comprised of genin with a chunin or two as well. B-ranks would have chunin and maybe a jonin. A normal team of a jonin and genin may be assigned to a B rank should the situation be appropriate. A- and S-rank missions would be for jonin and ANBU only. If fact, she was even considering adding a few of the more menial D-rank missions as community service to the academy curriculum. This would allow the village to maximize in profit for these missions while giving the students a chance to build upon teamwork while still in the academy.

She picked up a C-rank mission scroll, detailing a joint mission between Leaf and Sand. Ever since Sand sought to reconcile for its actions, joint missions like this were suggested to help strengthen the hopefully growing bond between the two villages. There was a village located in the River country, about half way from the borders to the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind that had been suffering from numerous bandit attacks and kidnappings over the past few weeks. The reason this mission was classified C-rank was because the only believed threat was a few bandits with the strongest of them having skills equal to a low-rank genin at most. Also, from the looks of the description, this mission would last at least a few weeks, giving her a solution to one problem.

"Shizune, summon Shikamaru Nara, Laxus, and Neji Hyuga" ordered Tsunade. After the previous night, she would have rather summoned Lucy, but her team had been assigned B rank and would be leaving tomorrow. Normally, such a young team wouldn't be given a B-rank mission, however this was a tracking mission and Team 8 was one of the best tracking teams that had come along in years. Besides, for the given mission that she was sending Laxus on, Neji would be just fine and a Hyuga on investigative missions like this was also strongly desired.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Reviews and Comments are greatly appreciated**.


	33. Teaming up with the Sand

**Disclaimer I do not own Laxus or fairy tail and the first person to comment will be dedicated**.

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It was getting late in the afternoon and Laxus was making his way to the normal spot for dinner, Ichiraku. Unfortunately for him, tonight's date with ramen wasn't destined to happen as he was approached by Shikamaru and Neji in the middle of the street.

"Laxus, the Hokage has summoned us" explained Neji. Laxus's stomach protested violently as he followed along. The ramen would have to wait.

The three of them stood in front of Tsunade's desk, waiting for her to tell them why they were there. "Come on Grandma Tsunade , what sort of mission do you have for us now?" asked Laxus. A vein nearly popped in Tsunade's temple. She could handle the Grandma comment in a more private scenario, but with other ninja present…it just wasn't appropriate.

Tsunade took a deep breath calming herself before addressing the team standing in front of her. "Since the invasion by the Sound and the Sand, there have been efforts to re-forge the ties that have been broken between Leaf and Sand. We are beginning an initiative to perform joint missions where each village sends a team and the two teams work together to accomplish the same goal. However, these missions will only involve affairs that are not directly related to the security of the other village. The mission I am assigning to the three of you is one of the joint missions. The three of you are to rendezvous with the Sand team in the village of Hatosunanoyujo on the morning of October 16, three days from now. Your teams will then proceed to the village of Oksana where recent bandit activity has taken a serious increase. Your mission will be to determine the problems caused by these bandits and once that is done, eliminate them."

"What kind of bandits are we talking about?" asked Shikamaru, wanting to gather as much necessary information as possible.

"From the reports we received, these bandits have little to no shinobi training, with the strongest being no more than low-genin in skill. A team consisting of a chunin and two higher-skilled genin should have no problems here, not to mention you will be receiving support from Sand."

"Grandma Tsuande, who is Sand sending anyways?" asked Laxus. Once again, Tsunade cringed slightly at the –Grandma part.

"I do not know exactly for sure, but they will only send a three-man team, with no one above the rank of chunin" explained Tsunade. "Now, before you are dismissed, this is an important mission in terms of the impact it could have on the relations between our two villages. I expect nothing less than your best and full cooperation with the Sand team. Shikamaru, you are assigned as team leader."

"Don't worry Grandma, you can count on us." Tsunade was getting pretty close to the breaking point, sending a slight death glare towards Laxus.

"Dismissed. Now get this brat out of my office before he says the word 'Grandma' again!" barked Tsuande as Neji dragged Laxus out by the collar of his jacket.

Now, Kakashi had been late before but this was just getting plain ridiculous. It was around 1:00 in the afternoon when they were given a break for lunch, which would last until 2:00. For Team 7, this would mean that Kakashi wouldn't show up until 3:00 or even 4:00. However, it was nearly 7:00 in the evening and Freed, Bickslow and Evergreen had been waiting for hours for Kakashi to show up with the new Justus he promised. Finally, they gave up and went back into town, figuring that sitting around wasn't getting them anywhere. It was getting dark as well and Sakura knew her parents would be wondering where she was, considering today wasn't a mission day for her.

"Hey guys, so what sort of Jutsu did Kakashi-sensei give you?" asked Laxus, who ran into them on the way to finally get his ramen. The three gave Laxus a good long stare.

"And where have you been this afternoon? Picking up some of Kakashi-sensei's habits already?" asked Evergreen. Laxus looked at her with a confused expression on his face.

"Well, Grandma kind of gave me a mission and I just got back from the equipment store" explained Laxus.

"Wait…you have a mission? With who?" asked Freed. He was now wondering why Laxus had gotten a mission by the rest of them hadn't.

"Err…yeah. It's me, Shikamaru, and Neji. We leave tomorrow for a town known as Hatosunanoyujo town in the Land of Rivers. I don't know, sounds like there has been a lot of bandit activity there or something" explained Laxus. Freed simply nodded, now hoping he would get a mission as well, hoping it would give him a chance to test out some of the improvements he made to his taijutsu after the training with his own shadow clones. Soon they heard someone laugh and the team recognize.

"Cana!" Laxus, Bickslow, and Evergreen shouted in unison. This was the first time in over a month that they had seen their friend. From the stories they head, he and Zabuza had been away on a mission during that time. Despite being assigned to Team 7 and Zabuza made a chunin of the village (hopefully a jonin with the upcoming jonin exams in a few months) the village had quickly acknowledged the bond between the two former rouge-ninjas.

"It's a good thing I found you so soon. Tsunade wanted us to report to her in the morning for a mission" explained Cana. By them, she meant herself, Evergreen, Bickslow, and Freed. Laxus had already been given a mission. Unfortunately, this meant that they would have to wait on getting their new Jutsu from Kakashi.

For Cana, Evergreen, Bickslow and Freed, their mission was to travel to a gold mine, just on the northern border of the Land of Fire and to guard a shipment of gold ore as the caravan travelled from the mine to the refinement facility, about a two days journey away. As it stood, most of Laxus's friends, including himself, now had their own set of C-rank missions that they were expected to handle without the help of their senseis. Team 8 had actually been assigned a B-rank, although they were accompanied by their jonin sensei, and Laxus was hoping Lucy would be alright.

Seeing as this was their first time together in a few weeks, the four members of Team 7 went to the Barbe-Q restaurant that Cana had really taken a liking to. It was beginning to seem like she would eat there almost as much as Chouji, although the quantity of food was nowhere near Chouji level.

* * *

Shikamaru, Neji, and Laxus set out late in the morning, after the two genin on the team were forced to drag Shikamaru out of bed. Unlike Laxus, who had to deal with this type of behavior from Kakashi, Neji was not used to a late member of his team. As a Hyuga, he had been taught that punctuality was an important virtue to have. Also, he was used to Gai-sensei having more energy than Laxus at times, if that was even possible. However, it wasn't until Shikamaru's mother came and dragged him out of the house that they were finally able to be on their way, earning a few snickers from Laxus and possibly a smile from Neji.

The first day's journey was rather uneventful with the group stopping to set up camp just before dark. Being Shikamaru, he decided to turn in early so that he could manage to get plenty of sleep, leaving Neji and Laxus to man the camp. Neji decided now was the time to discuss a few things with Laxus. "Laxus, I want to say that I am glad that you and Lady Lucy are together" he said, initially catching Laxus's attention. "However, I have to warn you to be careful."

"Huh? Oh, don't worry. I won't do anything dishonorable, if that's what you mean" replied Laxus.

"I wish that was it. I wish the only thing the two of you had to worry about was my uncle, but sadly that is not the case" replied Neji.

"What are you talking about?"

"While I don't know why, you have never been looked highly upon in my clan. It's surprising that my uncle even allowed you to train with Lucy in the first place. However, there are those in the main branch, particularly the elder that would strongly…oppose any sort of relationship you have with Lady Lucy" explained Neji. Laxus knew why the elders didn't like him. It was the same reason most of the villagers didn't like him…the Nine-tails. "My uncle is doing his best to keep the elders at bay, otherwise they would have had their way with Lady Lucy years ago."

"W-what do you mean by their way?" Laxus asked, picking up on the ominous tone in Neji's voice. Neji looked down and untied the headband on his head, revealing his curse mark. "You don't mean…"

"Yes. For years, the elders have felt that she was unworthy and wanted to just brand her into a branch house immediately. However, the fact that Lucy is the oldest and the current heir is mainly what had prevented them. They have been trying to convince my uncle to name her sister, Wendy, as the heir, but Lord Hiashi has yet to actually choose the heir. And in reality, he doesn't need to make the decision until Lucy turns 16."

"So why doesn't he just name Lucy the heir and stick it to the elder's face?" asked Laxus, growing slightly more irritated.

"Because…if Lucy becomes is officially named the clan heir, then Lady Wendy gets branded" said Neji, causing Laxus to tense up.

"If it's really that bad, then I'm determined more than ever to change your clan when I become Hokage. Ya know!" exclaimed Laxus.

Neji just shook his head. "By the time you become Hokage, it will be too late for one of them. By then, either Lucy or Wendy will have been branded. Besides, my uncle is already looking into a few ways to change the clan already. He has always been against the clan in terms of some of its ancient traditions, and just recently, he has begun opposing the practice of the branding. However, he holds little power in the clan over the sealing of branch members. The only people he has control over are Lucy and Wendy, and he can only choose one to not be branded."

"In other words, he's buying for time" said Shikamaru, coming out of the tent. Apparently, Laxus's yelling had woke him up.

"What do you mean?" asked Laxus. Neji on the other hand, nodded with Shikamaru's deduction.

"He has until Lucy turns 16 to make the final decision on who will be the clan heir. Shikamaru is correct, he's trying to buy as much time as possible" said Neji. Laxus still didn't fully understand and asked Neji why. Neji pointed at his seal. "As of now, this seal is impossible to remove. It is so engrained into our brain that even the slightest modification to the seal could leave us permanently disabled or dead."

"What?!" said Laxus, a little in shock. He wasn't fully aware on what Neji was talking about, however he had overheard a little on the complexity of the brain from Tsunade when she was waking Freed and Kakashi. Hearing that only resulted in him having a headache. However, he knew at least that the brain was incredibly complex and something on this magnitude couldn't be good.

"As of now, the only way to remove the seal, is through death. I have already told you that" said Neji. Laxus thought back to his fight against Neji, back when Neji was still a prick with a stick shoved up his ass. "However, there is hope." This was something Laxus had never thought he would hear Neji talk about, although it was strangely comforting. "Before I say anything, please promise me not to tell anyone. The only others who know about this are my uncle and your teacher, Lord Jiraiya."

"Wait, what does Pervy Sage have to do with this?" asked Laxus.

"Lord Jiraiya was my uncle's teacher and he is the greatest seal master known in the shinobi nations. Before you and Lady Lucy left to find Lady Tsunade, my uncle gave Jiraiya the sealing formula for the Caged-bird seal and asked him to find a way to remove it without harming the bearer. I have hope that one day he will succeed and the clan will truly change. If you want to help change my clan, then help your master find a way to remove the seal. Once that factor is out of the question, then real change can begin."

"But wait…if you remove the seal, what would stop them from putting the seal on you again?" asked Laxus.

Neji thought for a moment. "There exists an ancient law in the clan that states that the heads of the clan are to be the strongest shinobi in the clan. This led to the implementation of the clan challenge, where any member of the clan could challenge one of the heads, either clan head or elder, for their position. While the elders and my uncle are considered the strongest in the clan, the main reason they have not been challenged is because of the seal."

"What does the seal have to do with this clan challenge thing?" asked Laxus.

"The last time the challenge was issued was about 8 years ago. I was only five, but I remember that horrific event all too well" said Neji, preparing to tell his story. "The challenger was a member of the branch family by the name of Tajo. He was tired of the servitude forced upon the branch families by the main branch. One afternoon, about two days after his first child was born, he approached the elders, asking for them to not to seal his newly born son, at least not until he was older. The seal has been known to cause complications if placed on a person less than three years in age. The elders simply laughed at his request and his son was branded the following evening. About a month later, the child died from complications most likely due to the seal."

Laxus was at a loss for words; even Shikamaru was listening and was stunned as well. Neji continued. "The day following his son's death, Tajo issued a challenge to Moriko, one of the elders of the clan. If he could win, then he would be able to take Moriko's position as an elder of the clan, making his family now part of the main branch and the fear of being sealed would be ended."

"But wait, you said the seal couldn't be removed, wouldn't Tajo still have the seal if he had won?" asked Shikamaru. "Wouldn't that make it easy to manipulate him?"

"Yes, but there are specific rules that the clan had set up with the village in this case. Basically, it was against the law and punishable by death if a main family member ever used the seal against another main family member" said Neji. "All Tajo would have to do is go to the Hokage. If by chance he were killed before he was able to inform the Hokage, a very thorough investigation would have been conducted and the ones responsible would have been caught. However, Tajo did not win. The challenge was set for one week from the issue of the challenge, giving the two time to prepare. The day that the challenge was to be held, Tajo and Moriko met in the arena set up by the clan. The rules were simple: Fight until one either dies or gives up. Their fight began and Tajo started off, showing even more determination than you did on the day we fought, Laxus. He quickly gained the upper hand, easily overpowering Moriko. Many of the branch members were on their feet, believing that the day would finally come that the oppressiveness of the main branch would come to an end with Tajo as one of the elders. However, before he could deliver the finishing blow, Moriko made THE hand seal and activated Tajo's seal. After a few minutes of screaming in unbearable pain, Tajo dropped to the ground…dead. No one has issued a challenge since then, afraid that the seal would be used against them and they would lose, no matter what."

Silence was heard throughout the camp. No one speaking a word as Neji's tale came to an end. Inside his head, Laxus could feel his inner demon's rage boiling over. To win a battle such as that using cheap tactics like that, was just plain sickening. Even amongst demons, there was honor. In the situation Moriko was in, if he was a demon, he would either concede and flee or allow himself to be killed…not activate some disgusting seal. He was already plotting the Huyga man's demise should Laxus ever give him the slightest chance to.

Shikamaru was thinking. "I see. So if that seal can be removed, you or another branch member can challenge for the position of clan elder in the main branch and not have to worry."

"Yes, that is correct. My uncle is aware of this as well, and it is part of his plan to loosen the elder's grips on the dealings of the clan" said Neji. Laxus looked at Neji with some slight confusion still. "You need not worry, but just know that it was because of the elders and their policies that my clan is in the state it's in."

Laxus got that determined look in his eye. "Well, if that's the case then, I'll find a way to get rid of that seal and then you can show those damn elders whose boss. After that, we'll be able to change the clan for the better. Ya Know!"

Neji smiled. "Thank you, Laxus."

* * *

Nothing more was said that night and the three turned in, continuing on their way in the morning. They were less than a day from Hatosunanoyujo town and they would be most likely arrive just in time for dinner. Laxus already knew where he was going…Hatosunanoyujo ramen. Before leaving, he had triple checked that he had the passport on him and he was finally going to taste one of those special dishes. The night before they left, Laxus had made up his mind and informed Teuchi of his decision to save Ichiraku for last as it was customary that the passport was put on display at the ramen shop where it was completed.

As soon as they reached town, a faint aroma of ramen hit Laxus's nose and he darted off towards the location of the stand, leaving Neji and Shikamaru behind. Laxus arrived at the shop. It was about three times larger than Ichiraku's and it was packed. Thankfully, Laxus found a seat next to a brown haired man, probably in his mid twenties, at the ramen bar.

"I'll be with you in one minute, kid" said the chef as he places a bowl in front of the man that he had just sat next to. Taking a look at the man, Laxus made out the grass headband. Laxus's attention was then directed towards the bowl of ramen placed in front of the man. Laxus could make out what looked like white truffles and some other mushrooms in the ramen. However, after taking a whiff of the aroma from that one particular bowl, Laxus was practically mesmerized by it.

"Hey mister" said Laxus, tugging gently at the man.

"Huh? Hey what do you want? Can't you see I'm trying to enjoy my ramen?" asked the man.

"Yeah, but uhh…I just wanted to know what was in there?" said Laxus.

"I could tell you, but it doesn't mean you will be getting any" said the man.

"Huh? Why's that?" said Laxus.

"Because it really expensive" said the man.

"Oh, really? Well I'm getting it anyway." said Laxus who smilled, nearly causing the man to choke on his own ramen as the shop owner just laughed.

" I guess you'll want my white truffle ramen."

"Is that you're special dish?" asked Laxus.

"It is. The same this gentleman next to you is enjoying." The man sitting next to him had gotten over the initial shock of seeing Laxus's passport and had begun indulging himself. Just looking at him, you would think the man had just found heaven. He was in pure bliss as he slurped down the ramen. "The climate around here is rather moist and mushrooms are common sights in the forest. These white truffles and the giant mushroom; however, are the rarest and most delicious. The dish I'm preparing for you contains both of them, along with some other mushrooms and spices to enhance the flavors."

"Geez Laxus, only you would go running off towards a ramen shop" said Shikamaru as he and Neji tracked down their estranged teammate. Shikamaru was going to complain more, but it would have been too much…not to mention his stomach had also begun to protest and the two remaining Leaf ninja quickly found themselves sitting next to Laxus as they ordered a bowl of ramen as well.

The time finally came when the chef set the bowl in front of Laxus. Before doing so, he checked the legitimacy of Laxus's passport, finding it to be real and in Laxus's name. The bowl was placed in front of Laxus's face and his first instincts were to inhale the entire contents of the bowl; however, something in his head was stopping him from inhaling it. It was telling him to savor this delicacy and eat it slow, something Laxus was still unfamiliar with.

"Hey kid, first thing you have to do is take that white truffle and put it on a plate. That is the last thing you want to eat as that's the best part" explained the man sitting next to him. "And sorry for acting rude earlier. It's just something about these dishes. You get others nagging at you for a taste. That goes against everything these dishes were set aside for...only the most dedicated ramen coinsurers could truly enjoy them, not to mention it's just plain annoying."

Laxus accepted the man's apology and did as he was told, removing the single white truffle that had been placed in the bowl and setting it to the side for the end. He took a few noodles and a piece of the giant mushroom with his chop sticks and took his first bite. He could die right now and he wouldn't care. In fact, he could let Kurama out on a rampage through the village and he wouldn't care. The ramen was just too damn good for him to care about anything else at that moment. Laxus ate the remainder of the bowl slowly, savoring every bit of flavor that flooded his system. Then finally, the time came. Laxus finished off the remaining broth and moved onto the final part…the white truffle. He picked it up with his chopsticks and rubbed it around in what little broth was still remaining in the bowl and then went to eat it. The sweetness from the truffle perfectly balanced out the spices from the ramen, capping possibly the best bowl of ramen he ever had.

The chef handed Laxus a small picture of Laxus taking his first bite of the ramen. He hadn't even noticed the camera as he was too distracted by the wonder that was ramen. Surprisingly, that one bowl had managed to fill him. He was known for eating over a dozen bowls before being filled at Ichiraku, but this one bowl had done it for him. Laxus prepared to pay the man for the bowl, but his money was turned away. The man noticed something familiar about Laxus and told him it was on the house.

* * *

The following day was the day they were supposed to meet up with the team from Sand. Laxus, Shikamaru, and Neji made their way towards the determined meeting place. As they got closer, Laxus could feel Kurama starting to tense up. Something was irritating the fox and as the Sand team came into view, Laxus realized what it was.

"Hello Trouble" said Shikamaru as he spotted the Sand team as well. In front of them stood Gajeel, Temari, and Kankuro, the same trio that they had met during the chunin exams.

Temari tensed a little seeing Laxus with them. She recalled the fight in the forest between Laxus and Gajeel and how Laxus had taken on a shroud of demonic chakra that was strangely similar to that of the Shukaku's chakra inside her brother.

"Sorry we kept you waiting" said Neji, trying to be the first one to initiate conversation.

"That is quite alright. We only got here a few minutes ago. In fact, we were worried that we were going to be late" replied Gajeel. It was odd to both Laxus and Shikamaru. There was no killing intent coming from Gajeel at all. In fact, he was completely calm and even Kurama had picked up on this. Had something happened to quell the one-tails?

Both teams were on their guard, weary of one another as they proceeded to the town in the north where their mission was supposed to be. Finally breaking the silence, Temari spoke up.

"So Shikamaru is it?" she said towards Shikamaru. The lazy chunin just nodded. "I see you made it out of the exams as a chunin."

 _"Man, what a drag. I didn't want HER to be here"_ he thought. "You know that was never my intention."

Temari looked at the Nara with confusion. "If I had it my way, I would never have even taken the exams. I just wanted a normal ninja life and to play shoji. But then my sensei made my team take the exams and the next thing I know, I'm facing you in the finals."

"About that, you had me beat. Why did you just give up like that?" she asked.

"I told you. It would have been too troublesome to have any more fights" said Shikamaru. "Besides, apparently that one fight was enough to make me a chunin. On the bright side, at least I don't have to take those exams again."

The teams reached the village of Ojikana late that afternoon. The first thing was to go to the village council and determine the situation. From the reports given by the villagers, bandits would normally come in late at night and kidnap them. To date, around 11 children had been kidnapped. There hadn't been any ransoms for the children so the villagers had no idea what had happened to the kids. Their only plan was to wait and see if any bandits would come along that night and try to kidnap one of the children. Shikamaru thought for a moment, eventually coming up with a plan. There were three roads out of the village and six of them. This meant that there would be two people assigned to each village exit. Now, Laxus had the ability to use shadow clones and he understood how they functioned. They decided to have Laxus make a mass of clones and have a clone stationed at each house where the kidnappers might strike and a clone with each group to inform them when the bandits struck as the clone's memories would be transferred back to the remaining clones. He stationed Laxus and Gajeel at the north gate, Neji and Kankuro at the west gate, and Temari and himself would take the south gate. The east side of the village was up against a fast moving river so it was unlikely bandits would come from that direction. However, Shikamaru would rather be safe and figured Laxus could spare a few more clones to guard the river and any holes in the outer perimeter.

Now, Shikamaru didn't want to catch these bandits right in the middle, he wanted to catch them at wherever they were holed up with hopes of finding the hide out where the missing children were. It was getting dark and everyone took their place as the Laxus clones transformed into random inanimate objects to disguise themselves.

Laxus himself was a little nervous having to be paired up with Gajeel as Kurama had been complaining for the past few hours about having to deal with one-tails, although Gajeel was showing no signs of that demon's bloodlust.

"Laxus, can I ask you something?" said Gajeel, catching Laxus's attention. Laxus nodded, wondering what the fellow jinchuriki had to say. "You have a demon sealed inside you as well, don't you?"

"Yeah, the Nine-tails Fox said Laxus. "What of it? You have the One-tails sealed inside you don't you?"

Gajeel nodded. "You're demon…does it ever talk to you?" asked Gajeel.

"Well yeah, although he can get annoying at times, we talk" said Laxus. Kurama protested at the 'annoying' comment.

"I see. Is he like the One tails?" asked Gajeel. Laxus didn't quite get what he meant. Gajeel thought for a second. "After that day where we fought, I've been thinking about something. Ever since I was young, I was alone. The only one who would talk to me was the One-Tails and I slowly began to look at it as my mother. I killed for it and survived for it, thinking I was doing this for myself. What I'm trying to say, the One-Tails has been manipulating me since I was young. Has that ever happened to you? Has the demon inside you ever manipulated you to do something you regret?"

"Huh? Does that mean you regret what you've done? You regret killing all those people?" asked Laxus. Gajeel just nodded.

"Ever since that day, I've been thinking that maybe there was a different way to live. Perhaps if I tried to get people to see me in a positive light, like the people you told me about, perhaps I to can finally feel what it's like to live" said Gajeel. "Ever since then, I've been trying the best I can to block out the One-Tails and listen to my own thoughts."

Laxus kind of smiled like this. Gajeel wasn't a monster. The One-Tails made him the monster everyone thought he was. Then Gajeel spoke again. "So tell me, how do you block your demon's influence out?"

Laxus looked down. Unfortunately he couldn't give Gajeel the answer he wanted. "I don't really know what to say. The Nine-tails, Kurama I mean, and I get along rather well. We joke around, we laugh, we make fun of each other. To be honest, I actually see him as a friend" said Laxus.

Gajeel looked at him in shock. "A…friend?"

"Yeah. I'm not really sure what to say, but he approached me one day and the two of us made a deal. Basically, I would help him kill a certain person and in exchange, he would help me" said Laxus.

Gajeel thought. "This person the Nine-tails wants dead, who is he? What is he like?"

Laxus thought for a moment. "His name is Madara Uchiha." Gajeel looked up, surprised at the name. Even in Sand, that name was known and feared. However, Madara was supposed to be dead. "Neither of us understands how he would still be alive, but we know he's alive and he's responsible for much misery that has be brought upon my village."

"I see" Gajeel said, comprehending everything Laxus had said. "So you're saying the Nine-tails doesn't try to manipulate you?"

"No, not really" said Laxus. That was pretty much true, unless you count trying to hook him up with a certain 'vixen'. Kurama did have a hand in pushing the two of them together.

"Laxus, do you think there's hope for me then? Do you think I will ever have a…friend?" asked Gajeel.

"Huh?" Laxus was shocked by this new Gajeel that he was facing. The cold-blooded killer was gone and what was left was a lonely boy desperately trying to find a friend. He was sincere in changing himself for the better. "Well yeah, everyone needs a friend. Heh, if you want, I'll even be your friend."

 **"Commence with idiot mode"** thought Kurama. He didn't want to be associated with the One-Tails, but there really wasn't anything he could do to stop Laxus from being…well Laxus.

"You…you will?" said Gajeel.

"Yeah, and I'm sure your brother and sister would be your friends if you just tried. I mean, that's all you really got to do. Show them that they are important to you and they'll become your friends in no time" said Laxus getting a smile on his face.

Laxus suddenly zoned out as a memory came to him. Gajeel noticed the slight change in his expression. "They're here" said Laxus as one of his clones relayed a kidnapping to him. All around the village, every other Laxus clone got the memory coming to them and the ones that were stationed with the rest of the team got the same memory. The kidnappers were in motion.

* * *

"Were you followed?" asked a man, standing next to two others. The bandit that was carrying a child shook his head, indicating that no one was following them. The three masked men just nodded and took the child that had been abducted. It was a young girl, approximately three years in age. "Hmm, she'll do just fine for our purposes. A dozen children, just what Lord Orochimaru wanted."

"What the hell does that snake bastard want with children?" shouted Laxus as the six ninja entered the cave. After taking a close look at the man and his two accomplishes, the six Sand and Leaf recognized them. The two in the back were Zaku and Kin, while the one in the middle was Yori. From the looks of it, Zaku had gotten a new pair of arms after Shino had blown his old arms off.

Yori turned to the bandits. "You said you weren't followed!"

"I-I didn't know" staggered the bandit. For them not to realize that they were being tailed meant that the bandits must not have been that good. If any of them had any ninja talent at all, like the report suggested, then they must have been academy washouts. The only ninja here were Yori, Zaku, and Kin. Examining the cave, Shikamaru saw cages containing eleven children. The unconscious child that was in Yori's hand made number twelve. All the children that had been kidnapped were accounted for. Now all that was left to do was eliminate the three Sound ninja standing in front of them.

Unsurprisingly, Laxus was the first one to charge at them, knocking Yori in the stomach as Gajeel's sand caught the child, gently cradling it and slightly surprising everyone else that he was actually using the sand to do something other than crush a body.

Zaku growled at the intruders. "Decapitating airwaves!" he shouted, shooting a blast of sound waves from his hand.

"Hmph" was all Temari said before pulling out her fan. The gust she created was more than enough to knock back Zaku's attack.

Kin grinned and shot some of her senbon, hoping to catch one of them in the face, or at least in a genjutsu. The senbon hit their mark, nailing Kankuro in the eye…or at least that what she had thought. Kankuro's face began to crumble away, revealing it to be just a puppet as the real Kankuro stepped out from the bandages.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu!" shouted Shikamaru, as his shadow lashed out at the three slightly dazed Sound ninja. They were too slow to dodge it and were now regretting the lighting present in the hideout. "Neji…"

"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams, Sixty-four Palms" shouted Neji, assuming the Eight Trigrams stance. The resulting attack was enough to cripple the three Sound ninja and caused Kankuro to cringe a little as he remembered the Hyuga he had to face in the preliminaries.

"You guys really didn't get much better since the chunin exams did you?" asked Laxus with a cocky look on his face. "Hey…wasn't there another one? Dodo or Dosi…err, what was his name?"

"Dosu?" corrected Shikamaru.

"Umm…I might have killed him" said Gajeel, causing everyone to take a few steps backwards.

The villagers were waiting at the gate of the villagers when a mob of orange quickly descended upon their village. A dozen Laxus clones, each carrying one of the kidnapped children, passed through the gate as the villagers cheered. Following closely behind were the remaining ninja, prodding the three Sound ninja along. After everything settled down, Shikamaru sent a request to the Hokage, asking for an ANBU team to pick up their prisoners. Encased by Gajeel's sand, they weren't going anywhere any time soon. The only question left was: Why did Orochimaru want a dozen children? Surely Ibiki would be able to get some answers.

* * *

"Gahh!"

Speaking of Ibiki, there were pleasant sounds of pain filled screams coming from his office…torture chamber…as he worked his way through the angry mob that had almost killed Laxus, Lucy, Iruka, and Teuchi. So far, he had been able to compile a list featuring the names of just over a dozen leaders of this cult, a hundred or so names of members, and another hundred of names of villagers who supported them, but didn't do anything, except not even question their actions.

"Yaagghh!" another sound was heard as one of the villagers had their leg twisted in a direction it should not normally be able to go.

* * *

About three days later, an ANBU team finally arrived at the village to pick up the Sound prisoners. It was now time for the Sand and Leaf teams to return to their respective villages. Over the past few days, Laxus had spent some more time with Gajeel, trying to figure out if the redheaded jinchuriki was really trying to change…he was. Gajeel had truly taken a note from their fight and he was actually trying to change himself into something other than a cold-blooded killer. It would be hard, especially with how Sand viewed and feared him, but if Laxus could find someone to be his friend in Leaf, then he was sure Gajeel could find someone in Sand. Once Gajeel had that one person, it was only a matter of time before he had as many people behind him as Laxus did.

Thankfully for Shikamaru, there had been a shoji table in the village to keep him preoccupied. He tried playing a game with Laxus and Neji, but they offered him no challenge. Temari on the other hand, while he still ended up winning, he hated to admit that she was pretty good at the game. At least that was enough to stop him from cloud-watching all day.

"Laxus…" Gajeel said, turning to the Leaf genin as they prepared to part ways. "That boy that I fought in the exam, the one with the green clothes, how is he?"

Temari and Kankuro looked at Gajeel, slightly shocked by their brother's concern. Neji also caught this and tensed up a little. Since the exam, he had gained much more respect for his teammate, Lee, and was hoping that he would come out of his slump soon and take Tsunade up on the surgery, even if there only was a 50% chance of survival. While he was no longer a firm believer in fate anymore, he was sure that it was Lee's fate to become a splendid ninja and Lee still had a lot of tasks to accomplish.

"Thanks to you, his fate is…uncertain" said Neji, some harshness could be sensed in his voice.

Gajeel thought a moment. "Then for what it's worth, tell him I am truly sorry and that I hope he gets well soon. He was a worthy opponent and I would like the chance to fight him again should he recover." This had not been something the two Sand siblings had expected out of their brother. This also confirmed it for Laxus. Gajeel was truly looking to become a better person.

 **"Do you think he can actually resist the One-Tails for so long?"** asked Kurama.

 _"Gajeel? Yeah, I honestly think he can. He just needs someone to believe in him"_ replied Laxus.

 **"Fine, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt…for now. But if that damned raccoon ever starts to manifest itself again, then I'm gonna be kicking some tail and you're not stopping me."**

About a two-and-a-half day trip later, the team consisting of Neji, Laxus, and Shikamaru found themselves in the Hokage's office, giving her the report. It was troubling that the Sound was somehow involved in this, but another team would be sent to investigate further into that, once Ibiki managed to get some information out of the captured Sound ninja.

* * *

Laxus left the Hokage's office after turning in the D-rank he had been assigned. It was a simple supply restock mission, and he had been assigned to it solo. On his way out of the tower, Laxus caught sight of Shino and Elfman making their way through the streets. It had been nearly two weeks since Team 8 had been dispatched on their mission and the fact that those two were standing there meant that Lucy had to be back.

"Hey guys" Laxus greeted them. Shino responded with a simple greeting, but Elfman only turned his head away. "Hey…uhh, have you seen Lucy ?"

"I'm sorry Laxus." Said Elfman.

"Laxus, she's in the hospital" said Shino, instantly causing Laxus to worry as he darted off towards the hospital. Shino turned towards Elfman, whose did his best to advert his team mate's look, but Shino could easily pick out a bit of regret and shame in Elfman's face.

* * *

 **Author Notes**

 **All right, so there is the next chapter. I was not going for some elaborate and difficult fight as Zaku, Kin, and Yori have already been beaten before and with ease. The main things I was going for in this chapter were the conversations between Neji and Laxus, and Laxus and Gajeel. From here, Gajeel is truly trying to change (and I believe it is around this time where he changes in cannon). I have probably one more filler chapter before I get to a series of chapters that will have some pretty exciting battles (at least in my mind).**

 **How will things work out for Gajeel? Will Neji's plan actually come to fruition? What is Orochimaru up to now? And what happened to Lucy that put her in the hospital, and what does Elfman have to do with this?**

 **Also happy Early Independence day.**

 **Hope you enjoyed. Please review and comment.**


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